High school bands peddle Super Bowl subs

Matthew Shannon and Andrew Zagorianakos of Lincoln are way past the lemonade stand by the side of the road phase of venture capitalism.

Like members of the Old Town High School Marching Band, the two horn players – and other members of Lincoln’s Mattanawcook Academy Marching Band – will be using Super Bowl XXXIX to raise money for planned trips.

Both bands will be making and delivering at least 1,300 ham, turkey, salami or veggie sub sandwiches to homes and businesses in seven central Maine towns in the hours before the New England Patriots face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Call it a Super SUBstantial fund-raiser.

“It will probably be pretty fun,” Shannon said Friday. “It’s a pretty good way to raise money. A lot of people will be in front of the TV watching the Super Bowl, and they’re going to be pretty hungry.”

“Most people say the Super Bowl is the biggest event of the year, and a lot of food is being bought,” Zagorianakos said. “We do it early enough so that it won’t conflict with the game and it gets us out and about in time to watch it.”

Maria Broy, Mattanawcook Academy’s instrumental music director, saw how successful Old Town’s Super Bowl sandwich fund-raiser was when she worked there as a student teacher several years ago.

She said she decided to try doing one herself after becoming the academy’s bandleader last year.

Broy has Old Town band director Jeffrey Priest’s blessing.

“Anytime you can do a fundraiser that is attached to an event, it makes it about more than just selling stuff,” Priest said. “It makes it enormous fun.”

As of Friday afternoon, Old Town had orders for 800 sandwiches; the academy had 500 orders. Old Town is selling theirs for $4.50 each; the academy’s are $5 each.

Students and band boosters plan to start making subs Sunday morning at their respective high schools after doing prep work Saturday.

Zagorianakos looks forward to delivering subs, but doesn’t plan on missing the game. Unsurprisingly, he expects New England to win.

“I think it will be a close game, but they’ll put it out. They’re the most experienced team and they know how to win in this situation,” he said.

Mattanawcook Academy is raising money to pay to see “Phantom of the Opera” in New York City and to go to Washington, D.C., before playing in a band competition in Williamsburg, Va., from April 13 to 17. Old Town will be attending a music festival in New York City from April 7 to 11.

Both band programs are large and successful. Mattanawcook Academy has about 120 students in its bands and chorus and Old Town has 115, their directors said. Both were grateful for the advance orders and hope to get more.

“We set a goal for each of our kids to sell 10 sandwiches, and we fell short of that, but it’s still pretty darn good,” Broy said of the response to the fund-raiser. “If there are 5,000 people in Lincoln, then that means one out of every 10 people have a sandwich coming on Sunday.

“We wouldn’t be selling subs if not for the Super Bowl,” she added. “It definitely goes hand in hand. The kids are all riled up for the game, too. This is just getting them ready to watch the game at night.”

Anyone in Lincoln, Chester and Mattawamkeag who wants to order a sandwich can call Broy at 299-5929. Customers from Old Town, Bradley, Milford, Greenbush and Alton can call 827-2588 before 6 p.m. Saturday.