The Charles Henderson Blue Machine Marching band spent the first few hours of Labor Day weekend out in the hot Alabama sunshine selling boiled peanuts to raise money for the upcoming marching band season and beyond.

The band members were willing to sacrifice some of their holiday weekend to spend Saturday morning with friends and other members of the heralded Blue Machine Marching Band raising money for the upcoming year.

“It’s a lot of fun. I get to hangout with people that I really didn’t know and have some fun,” Zacheria Smith said. “It’s all about the band and all about the Blue Machine.”

The Blue Machine will be participating in several competitions this year and the money raised during will go a long way towards offsetting travel expenses as well as any other expenses that may come up along the way.

The band is about more than just playing an instrument and marching in formation, the students said. It’s about forming relationships and getting out and doing something that they love to do.

“Its all about positive reinforcement and going out there and having fun,” Smith said.

Even though it is hard to have to come out on a Saturday to work, it was worth it, the students said.

“Sometimes its hard to have to wake up early but it’s more than worth it,” Kayla Carter said. “It’s a lot of fun we are trying to raise money for the band so we can go on trips like to Orlando.”

The band members will be out every other Saturday morning selling the boiled peanuts to help raise the money for future events.