Millwood Band Program Receives Donation From Paycom

At one point, the interest in Millwood’s band program had fallen off so much they almost didn’t exist. But now they’re back and getting attention from all over the country, including a donation from Paycom for $116,000.

“They have bought into what we are doing, and they are excited about what we are doing at Millwood,” Millwood band director Davaro Wilson said.  

Wilson took over the band program at Millwood three years ago, at one of the lowest times for the band. 

“We started off with about ten [students] when I first came in, and now we are looking at about seventy kids,” Wilson said. 

He notices a different mindset with the students now as opposed to when he first started. 

“If you just walk the campus, you’ll see that the pride around the campus has changed, and if you ask me, I’d say mainly because of the band. We bring a lot of spirit to the school,” said Wilson. 

That school spirit caught the attention of the Paycom corporation.  

“Well, I’ve heard that some of the instruments stay around for as long as 25 years. They’ve got people on the sidelines that want to participate, but aren’t able to,” Jason Bodin with Paycom said.  

The software giant decided to help out a “little” donation to the band program. 

“One hundred and sixteen thousand dollars,” Wilson said. 

Millwood Superintendent Dr. Cecilia Robinson Woods says, with the recent growth of the band, the donation came at the perfect time. 

“This means we can give students opportunities to participate in band that we weren’t able to give opportunities to before because of our limited number of instruments,” Robinson said. 

For the band students, this funding simply means bigger and better. 

“We sound good with the instruments that we have, but just to add a little more style to it in the sound and for the sound to improve, just because of the stuff that we are getting it’s going to be very exciting,” Millwood Sophomore drummer, Delante Hutcherson, said. 

“A big thank you to Paycom for the funds that they have provided,” Wilson said.   

The band has a trip planned in November to play in the Bahamas, if you’d like to support, visit the music and dance page on the school's website at www.millwoodps.org.