Bay Area

GoFundMe Aims to Support RHS Marching Band’s Trip to Disneyland

Richmond High School Music Department Director Andrew Wilke recently launched a GoFundMe with the aim of raising funds to send his young musicians to Disneyland to march and perform.

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2024

Oakland Post

The Richmond High School marching band at Disneyland in 2023. Photos courtesy of Andrew Wilke.

By Richmond Standard

Richmond High School Music Department Director Andrew Wilke recently launched a GoFundMe with the aim of raising funds to send his young musicians to Disneyland to march and perform.

The RHS students marched at the theme park for the first time last year and the experience “motivated our students beyond expectation,” Wilke said. The band and color guard went on to secure several trophies during their competitive season, he said.

The RHS program has been invited back by Disney, which will entail a four-day, three-night trip. Wilke is trying to raise $7,000 for the hotel stay and $19,000 for two buses to transport about 80 students to Disneyland.

“When most schools go on a trip like this the students are expected to foot the bill,” Wilke said. “However, the majority of our students come from an economically disadvantaged background. So, while our students pay for their tickets to the park, we are raising funds to pay for the two buses and hotel rooms for our 80-person marching band.”

Wilke said marching bands teach important lessons to students, such as personal responsibility, being a productive community member, and self-reflection.

“The students of the RHS marching band serve our community by providing music at community events and inspiring younger students to study music,” Wilke said. “Our department has a 100% graduation rate and over 90% of our graduating seniors go to college. Trips like this help provide motivation and inspiration to our students.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Mayor Breed to Introduce Ordinance to Speed Up Process of Securing Residential Treatment, Care Beds

Don't Miss

Woman Charged with Murder After Striking Pedestrian with Car in San Pablo

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

Published

3 days ago

May 30, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

Published

1 week ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System

While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Image courtesy The Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

Chevron Richmond recently installed flare.IQ, a real-time, automated system that will improve the facility’s flaring performance.

The technology, developed by Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business, uses sensors to monitor, reduce and control flaring in real time. It collects and assesses data on refinery processes, such as temperature, pressure, gas flow and gas composition, and adjusts accordingly to ensure flares burn more efficiently and cleanly, leading to fewer emissions.

“The cleaner the flare, the brighter the flame can look,” said Duy Nguyen, a Chevron Richmond flaring specialist. “If you see a brighter flame than usual on a flare, that actually means flare.IQ is operating as intended.”

“A key element in Baker Hughes’ emissions abatement portfolio, flare.IQ has a proven track record in optimizing flare operations and significantly reducing emissions,” said Colin Hehir, vice president of Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business. “By partnering with Chevron Richmond, one of the first operators in North America to adopt flare.IQ, we are looking forward to enhancing the plant’s flaring operations.”

The installation of flare.IQ is part of a broader and ongoing effort by Chevron Richmond to improve flare performance, particularly in response to increased events after the new, more efficient hydrogen plant was brought online in 2019.

Since then, the company has invested $25 million — and counting — into flare minimization. As part of the effort, a multidisciplinary refinery team was formed to find and implement ways to improve operational reliability and ultimately reduce flaring. Operators and other employees involved in management of flares and flare gas recovery systems undergo new training.

“It is important to me that the community knows we are working hard to lower emissions and improve our flaring performance,” Nguyen said.

Also evolving is the process by which community members are notified of flaring incidents. The Community Warning System (CWS), operated by Contra Costa County is an “all-hazard” public warning system.

Residents can opt-in to receive alerts via text, e-mail and landline. The CWS was recently expanded to enable residents to receive notifications for “Level 1” incidents, which are considered informational as they do not require any community action.

For more information related to these topics, check out the resources included on the Chevron Richmond, CAER and Contra Costa Health websites. Residents are also encouraged to follow @chevronrichmond and @RFDCAOnline on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where additional information may be posted during an incident.