Cameron Younie, senior at Sabetha High School, will be making her fourth appearance in the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band this summer at the Shrine Bowl game Saturday, July 15, at Lewis Field Stadium on the Fort Hays State campus in Hays.

Cameron became part of the band after receiving sponsorship from Hiawatha Masonic Lodge No. 35 back in 2020.

“The first time I participated was shortly after the pandemic,” Cameron said. “Since the band camp requires students to be around other students, they weren’t able to do an in-person camp, so instead the students that decided to continue to participate that year sent in videos of them playing their part of the songs we were supposed to perform and then someone edited the videos together, that way we could still play ‘together’ as a band.”

Cameron plays the tuba and sousaphone. The sousaphone, she explained, is the marching band version of a tuba. Her passion for music began early and she had been a band student since the start of the seventh grade.

When asked what her favorite part of being part of this select group is, Cameron said, “It is being able to play with other passionate musicians from all around Kansas. I feel so honored to be a part of this group because it’s a great feeling that by doing something I love, I’m able to give back to a foundation that has also done so much for my family.”

Cameron explained that her little brother was a Shriner’s patient when he was younger.

“That makes this experience that much more meaningful to me and my family,” Cameron said.

The band includes members from around the state, but is limited to 200 performers. These instrumentalists will attend a five-day long band camp at Fort Hays State prior to the game and their performance. While at camp, performers will work on music and marching techniques, and will have the opportunity to spend some time with Shriner’s patients. This year’s football game is the 50th annual contest that pits teams from the eastern part of Kansas against athletes from western Kansas. This will be the 40th year of having the Masonic marching band perform at the game.

This year’s young musicians will be under the direction of Dr. Peter Lillpopp, who is the Director of Bands at Fort Hays State University. Dr. Lillpopp teaches classes on campus, is the director of the FHSU Tiger Marching Band and has been a guest clinician throughout the United States.

Since Cameron is a senior, this will be her last year to be a part of the Masonic All-State band, but she will have the opportunity to come back and help as one of the camp advisors. At the conclusion of her high school career, she plans to attend Emporia State University (ESU) and continue her passion for music by joining the ESU marching band.

“I am looking forward to our halftime show performance because it’s so nice to see how everything comes together after putting so much time and hard work into it,” Cameron said.