When West Hall High School Band Director Katy Wilson-Fields arrived at work Monday morning, she noticed something was missing from the school's parking lot: the band's newly purchased equipment trailer.
The trailer, which had a value of around $5500, had been stolen from the lot sometime between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, according to Wilson-Fields. The cameras at the school were offline for a short period during the theft due to construction at the school.
"We do have some friends of the band and colleagues that will borrow the trailer here and there, and I checked with all of them. None of them had borrowed it," Wilson-Fields said. "So we went ahead and filed a police report."
Wilson-Fields said they purchased the silver Yukon 2022 single-axle trailer in 2022 following a fundraising period. The marching band was able to use it in September and October 2022 as marching band season got into full swing.
"Anybody that has any information, we would greatly appreciate it," she said. "$5000 might not be a lot to a major corporation or something, but for a local band primarily funded by fundraising and student fees, this is a massive hit for us. We want the best for our students and unfortunately, somebody doesn't."
The band is currently in the process of fundraising for some new percussion equipment, but Wilson-Fields said the need to buy another trailer would have a significant impact on the marching band's budget.
"What I hope to happen is that we rally together to either find it or to help our students find a solution or get a new one," Wilson-Fields said. "But the hope is that our awesome community can rally together and find our trailer."
Photos of the trailer can be viewed in the photo gallery at the top of this story. Anyone who has information about the trailer or its location should contact the Hall County Sheriff's Office or West Hall High School.
