Lakota East band students will fan out across Liberty Township and West Chester Township on Saturday, Aug. 22, for Tag Day, the program's biggest fundraiser of the year.

The annual event supports every band student at Lakota East High School and gives families four ways to chip in: online donations directed to individual students, in-person donation stations staffed by seniors, a finale performance in front of the school and Jolly Treats sales at the finale.

Tag Day falls nine days after classes resume Aug. 13, just as the marching band ramps up for its 2026 season show, "Between 1 and 0."

How to donate

Online contributions can be made through lakotaeastbands.org via PayPal, where donors can designate gifts to a specific student. That option has helped boost revenue in recent years, Tag Day committee chair Amy Coons told the Lakota East Upbeat Club at its August 2025 meeting, citing the ease of giving online and the ability to support a particular student.

Senior band members will also perform at donation stations around the community. In 2025, those stations were Chick-fil-A at Voice of America Centre, Skyline on Dudley Drive, Liberty Collective and Walmart on Cincinnati-Dayton Road. The school has not yet published 2026 station locations.

The day wraps with a finale performance on the front steps of Lakota East's main campus. Jolly Treats will be on site.

Both Lakota bands fundraise the same day

Lakota West Bands will hold its own Tag Day on Aug. 22 as well, running 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with volunteers reporting to the Lakota West Main Campus Theater, according to a Lakota West Bands post. That event includes a $20 raffle ticket component.

The Lakota East Band program, led by Director of Bands Rob Tanis, includes marching band, concert band, jazz band and winter guard. The Upbeat Club, the program's parent booster organization, coordinates Tag Day logistics.

Families can find donation links and volunteer details at lakotaeastbands.org.