Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Farmington Band Benefits From Donation
FARMINGTON — Band students and the community as a whole will benefit from a $30,000 donation given in July to the Farmington High School Band.
“This is also for the community,” said band director Jim Spillars. “Anyone who comes to a concert they will benefit from this gift.”
The donation came from the Robert M. and Bonnie J. Jones Family Trust in honor of Marcus W. Dorman, a former member of the band and a 1988 graduate of Farmington High School. The money is to be used at the discretion and direction of the current band director, according to stipulations of the trust donation.
Spillars said the band will use the money to purchase instruments and he is in the process of comparing new equipment as well as considering used instruments in very good condition.
The band is in need of several instruments. These include a good set of timpani, a marimba, a new bass clarinet, French horns and tenor saxophone.
“We know what our needs are,” Spillars said, noting the donation may not be enough to purchase all of these instruments but he wants the money to go as far as possible in purchasing quality instruments that will last decades. Some of the instruments now being used by band members were purchased for the original band program in 1981.
Spillars expressed his appreciation to the late Bonnie Jones and her willingness to donate to the band in honor of Dorman.
He said Marcus Dorman is the son of Ann Dorman Cooper, who cared for Bonnie Jones. Marcus
helped his mother in caring for Bonnie Jones and was very special to her.
Marcus’ father died unexpectedly when Marcus was 13 and his mother believed that being a part of band helped him in school, Spillars said.
“Bonnie Jones wanted to honor the charity of his choice,” Spillars added.
Dorman on Friday said being in the band helped him to stay in school after his father passed away. Farmington had a big emphasis on football and being in the band made him feel like he was a part of something, Dorman said.
Dorman played tuba and was a charter member of Farmington’s band program in 7th grade. He was the first Farmington band member to make All-Region Band and toured Europe with the U.S. Collegiate Wind Band.
Today, Dorman is a Sergeant First Class with the U.S. Army National Guard and is an active guard in reserve.
Spillars said Bonnie Jones attended some of his band concerts and he wished she would be able to see how her donation would benefit the program.
“It will allow us to continue to reach a lot of kids,” he said.
According to a letter about the donation, Bonnie Jones established the family trust in February 2009. She passed away at age 91 on April 28, 2017. Her husband of 63 years, Robert Jones, passed away April 8, 2009.
Trust funds will benefit Jones’ family and friends, as well as many other organizations, including University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Public Library, her church and other education and historical institutions and charitable groups.