K-State alumnus, Eric Stonestreet, gifted The Pride of Wildcat Land a new box truck
Imagine what we all could do if we were willing to pay the price? Kansas State University alumnus, Eric Stonestreet asked The Pride of Wildcat Land the night before their trip to the Cactus Bowl in Arizona in December 2017. He stood in front of the band which filled All Faiths Chapel and continued, “I sat in these very seats when I was a student and there weren’t many people convinced I was going to become an actor, but here I am, and I just bought you a truck!”
That new purple box truck is what The Pride of Wildcat Land plans to use in the future to easily carry their equipment to every bowl trip, marching festival and off-campus pep rally. Before this gift, the band rented trucks that cost $15,000 a year in fees and were sometimes the incorrect size or missing crucial equipment like ramps.
“This truck donation by Eric Stonestreet means much more than convenience, saving money and a good-looking vehicle,” said Frank Tracz, director of K-State bands. “To us it means that we have people who care about us.”
Tracz explained that although The Pride of Wildcat Land has close to $4 million dollars in scholarship endowments, he hopes donor support will continue until all students are taken care of while they are in the band— allowing donors to support their alma mater and K-State teams.
“If it were not for Athletics and donors, we would not exist as a band program,” Tracz said. “Donor support is our lifeline. We have survived and flourished because of the generosity, care, love and passion of so many alumni and donors.”
The ‘Stonestreet Truck,’ as the band students refer to the gift, will be a major accommodation to the marching band’s busy schedule, and is sure to become a lasting inspiration.
“This unbelievable donation is a gift to all generations of band kids as well as an example to the K-State community that each of us can make a difference,” Tracz said.
Originally published in January 2018.
