Some march to the beat of their own drum.
Others, however, march to the beat of the Golden Bear Band, a Robertsdale tradition that continues to grow with support from generations of students, …
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Some march to the beat of their own drum.
Others, however, march to the beat of the Golden Bear Band, a Robertsdale tradition that continues to grow with support from generations of students, families and community members.
After an inaugural event that drew more than 130 cars and prompted attendees to ask for its return before it had even ended, the Robertsdale Band Boosters Club is preparing for a bigger second year of its Car Show & Chili Cook-Off.
For Valorey Salter, president of the Robertsdale Band Boosters Club, the inaugural event was an unexpected success.
"Our inaugural event was our 'Field of Dreams' moment, 'build it and they will come.' And they did," Salter told Gulf Coast Media.
Scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Robertsdale High School, the fundraiser is hosted by the Robertsdale Band Boosters Club Inc. and presented by title sponsor Lynn's Tire & Automotive. Proceeds benefit the Robertsdale High School Golden Bear Band.
Spectator admission is free. Activities include a car show, chili competition, live music, food trucks, vendors, concessions and a Kidz Zone sponsored by 3 Circle Church. Children can enjoy free inflatables and games, while the RHS Key Club will offer face painting.
The Robertsdale Color Guard will also hold a car wash in front of the school. A $10 wristband includes chili samples and a People's Choice ticket.
"We had such a short period of time to plan it and I didn't know much about hosting a car show," Salter said of last year's event. "I reached out to car show enthusiasts in our local area and they gave me some of the best advice."
Organizers expected about 45 cars, with perhaps a few dozen additional vehicles registering on the day of the festivities. Instead, more than 130 cars arrived, creating a line of show vehicles along Fairground Road as participants waited to enter.
"When we walked around the corner, we saw a line of show vehicles all the way down Fairground (Road), (Highway) 59, both directions, with people waiting to get in," Salter said.
The unexpected turnout sent organizers scrambling to accommodate participants. Salter drove a utility vehicle across the parking lot to the students handling registration, directing them to let older vehicles park first and complete registration in their parking spaces so drivers could turn off their engines.
She had prepared 80 additional registration packets, but demand still required quick adjustments. Four judges spent nearly four hours evaluating vehicles, far longer than the hour to an hour and a half organizers had expected.
Despite the challenges, Salter said car show veterans were impressed that organizers had pulled off the event on their first attempt. Attendees also made it clear they wanted it to return.
"Many guests walked up to me and said, 'Robertsdale needed this,' and 'When is next year's date?'" she said.
"We didn't think this was gonna be an annual thing," Salter said of the boosters' original plan to try the event once before deciding whether to bring it back. "Everybody, literally everybody that I spoke to, was like, 'You've got to keep doing this every single year,'" she said.
Salter began planning the next event the following Monday, incorporating praise and constructive criticism from attendees.
Organizers expect between 1,200 and 1,500 attendees this year. New car show categories include Best Hooptie, Kids' Choice and Best Club Participation. Organizers are improving traffic flow and adding professional sound, a stage, digital voting and more judges. Six judges have been confirmed, with space available for two more.
Organizers also plan to announce another addition to the Kidz Zone on the event's Facebook page. The free children's area gives families a place to enjoy the day without paying for every activity.
"Let's build community. Let's have something free. The economy's hard," Salter said. "People can just walk around and enjoy something. There's something for everybody to do."
She hopes the event eventually grows into a larger fall festival on the Robertsdale High School campus along U.S. 59.
Salter encouraged visitors to bring lawn chairs, talk with car owners, sample chili and explore vendor booths. Those who do not care for chili will have other food options.
"We want them to just come out and have a good time," Salter said. "Band kids know how to have a good time and put on a good show."
This year's highlights include Chili Row, where first responders will compete in what Salter expects to be an entertaining showdown, and a performance by Ella & the Sunday Sinners.
Car show participants are encouraged to register in advance because same-day registration may take longer and could be unavailable if spaces fill up. Nonprofits and volunteer first responders entering the chili cook-off may request a fee waiver. Organizers are still accepting sponsors. Selected vendors have been notified, and interested vendors may email the club to join a waiting list in case an opening becomes available.
Guest parking will be in the student parking lot closest to the water tower. Registration information, rules and judging categories are available at https://robertsdalebandboosters.org/car-show-chili-cookoff.
For Salter, supporting the Golden Bear Band is personal.
A lifelong Robertsdale resident, she attended Robertsdale High School from kindergarten through 12th grade and graduated in 1998. She played saxophone in the Golden Bear Band, making her current role with the booster club a way to give back to a program that helped shape her teenage years.
Her youngest daughter graduated from Robertsdale High School after playing French horn and mellophone, serving as a section leader and participating in honor bands. Now the fourth generation of their family to graduate from Robertsdale High School, she marches with the band at her college.
Salter became involved with the booster club in 2022, when her daughter was a freshman. She attended meetings and volunteered for activities.
"I noticed that there was a lot of opportunity and I could offer my skills to fulfill those gaps," she said.
She joined the executive board as secretary in fall 2024, later served as treasurer and now leads the organization as president.
Salter credited the Board of Directors, her trusted helpers and the Round Table with helping turn ideas into action. She emphasized that every band parent is a booster, regardless of how much time they can give.
"Our volunteers are the bread and butter of our booster club," she said. "Every parent is automatically a band booster. Whether they donate 5 minutes or 1,000 hours, each of them have a special place in my heart — past and present. I can't thank them enough, and I owe them every bit of gratitude."
Parents serve meals, staff the medical tent, chaperone trips and work concessions. Other volunteers transport instruments, operate trucks and trailers, build props and repair equipment. Some also grill and tailgate at competitions while students prepare for performances.
Salter has worked to create a welcoming culture where volunteers feel their ideas are heard and no one is more important because of a title.
"I don't care about a title. I've told people you can call me the janitor because I clean this place up," she said. "I want everybody to have fun and enjoy it while they're here because these years don't last."
She encourages volunteers to compromise, listen to one another and make the most of their time supporting students, who have only a few years in the program.
Established in 1948, the Golden Bear Band will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2028.
After several difficult transitional years, membership stood at 77 students in 2017. Today, enrollment is approaching 240 students, making it the largest band in school history and one of the largest marching bands in South Alabama.
In 2025, the band earned Grand Champion honors and the highest scores of the day at the White Sands Marching Contest for the first time in school history.
Robertsdale High School Principal William White said community support helps students access opportunities beyond what the school budget can provide.
"Fundraisers like this help provide resources and opportunities that go beyond what a typical school budget can offer," White said. "They also demonstrate to our students that our community values their hard work and is invested in their success."
White said band boosters, parents, alumni and local businesses provide financial support while contributing to students' sense of belonging and pride. He also highlighted the educational value of extracurricular activities, including the discipline, teamwork, leadership and commitment students develop through band.
"We are grateful for everyone who continues to invest their time, energy and resources into our Golden Bear Band," White said. "Events like this are a reminder of what makes our school and community special."
Salter said the students' achievements reflect their hard work and the support that has helped the program grow. A new, state-of-the-art band room opened last year.
"There's no doubt these kids have set the bar high," she said. "They did the work. We just answered the call, and this year is no different."
As the band builds on that success, Salter said welcoming new Band Director Drew Ellis "has been an honor and a privilege."
Ellis said the fundraiser helps provide students with opportunities beyond the band's regular budget.
"We're excited about the second annual Car Show & Chili Cook-Off and grateful for the community's continued support of the Golden Bear Band," Ellis said.
He said the fundraiser helps pay for instruments, equipment, travel and performance opportunities while limiting or reducing the fees charged to band members each year.
"The success of this event is made possible by the hard work and dedication of our Band Boosters, along with the generosity of local businesses, sponsors and community members," Ellis said. "Their willingness to contribute their time, resources and talents speaks volumes about the support our students receive from the Robertsdale community."
In his first year at Robertsdale, Ellis said he has been impressed by the students' dedication, the commitment of the band boosters and the community's pride in the program.
"My goal is to build on that foundation, continuing to raise the standard of musical excellence while creating an environment where students develop leadership, discipline, confidence and a sense of belonging," he said.
The band's reputation reaches beyond Robertsdale. Salter said she has met spectators who traveled specifically to see the Golden Bear Band perform despite having no personal connection to the school.
Salter remembers the band having between 190 and 215 members when she was a student. Watching its current growth makes her proud to be a Robertsdale alumna.
"It makes me feel proud to be from here and to be an alumni, and, you know, it feels even better to give back a program that helped to shape me when I was a teenager," she said.
She credited community support and strong elementary and middle school music programs with helping the Golden Bear Band reach its current size.
Support for the Golden Bear Band extends beyond Robertsdale, with neighboring communities also investing in local students and school programs.
The cities of Robertsdale and Loxley are both sponsors of the Car Show & Chili Cook-Off, demonstrating regional support for the fundraiser and the students it benefits.
Loxley Mayor Richard Teal emphasized the importance of community partnerships in helping young people succeed.
"Supporting our local students and schools is an investment in the future of our entire community," Teal said. "When we come together to support programs that provide opportunities for our young people, we are showing them that they have a community behind them that believes in their potential and wants to see them succeed."
Teal said events like the Car Show & Chili Cook-Off show how neighboring communities, local leaders, businesses and residents can work together to strengthen partnerships and make a lasting difference.
"I am proud to see our community come together to support them, and I hope we continue to build on that spirit of cooperation and hometown pride for years to come," Teal said.
The booster club helps cover transportation to football games and competitions, uniforms, instruments, support staff and instructors, music, competition fees and educational experiences. It also supports the Central Baldwin Middle School band program, which feeds into the high school.
Beyond the regular marching season, the club helps students pursue additional experiences. This year, the Indoor Winter Guard has an opportunity to compete at the World Championship in Dayton, Ohio, and team members are raising money to make the trip.
Salter said expenses extend well beyond uniforms and marching performances. Students participate in music classes throughout the school day, including those who do not march on the field or perform on a stage. Instruments can be expensive investments that serve generations of students.
"That one school-owned $40,000 instrument can be played by hundreds of students per year and that instrument lasts 40-50 years, impacting the lives of thousands of students for generations," she said.
She pointed to the University of Alabama's Million Dollar Band as an example of the resources a successful band program can require. While she would welcome that kind of budget, Salter said the booster club aims to support the program and ease the financial burden on families.
Meeting students' everyday needs is also a priority, particularly during summer band camp. The booster club organizes lunch and dinner for students and support staff, often serving more than 250 people at a time. Community members have contributed bottled water, snacks, pickles, popsicles, fans, tents and electrolytes to help students through demanding rehearsals.
"You never know what a child may be going through outside of band," Salter said. "As a booster club, our job is to fundraise, but it is so much more than that."
Parent volunteers and community support help keep band fees from becoming prohibitively expensive. Even small contributions of time can help preserve opportunities for students.
"The sacrifice of volunteering some time selling nachos in the concession stand is way better than sacrificing a student's music education," she said.
For Salter, meeting students' immediate needs is part of a larger goal: ensuring the Golden Bear Band can continue offering opportunities to future generations. The Car Show & Chili Cook-Off helps sustain the program and keep financial challenges from limiting students' participation.
Salter wants students to compete at the highest levels, travel to major events and pursue experiences such as marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She also wants the program to be prepared for major expenses, including replacing tens of thousands of dollars in band uniforms when the current uniforms reach the end of their useful life.
"I want to see this band program thrive in such a way that even the kids can see that their opportunities are endless, to march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, to compete at the highest level not just within our local area, but beyond," she said. "They can do it with the right tools and right support. That's my legacy."
She hopes the fundraiser continues growing long after her term as president ends and eventually becomes the Golden Bear Band's largest annual fundraiser.
People do not need to have a child in the band to participate in the booster club. The organization welcomes volunteers with a variety of interests and skills, including photography, cooking, equipment transport and repairs.
The Car Show & Chili Cook-Off is run entirely by volunteers, including judges, many of whom do not have children in the band. Those who cannot volunteer can still help by sharing the club's social media posts or contacting the organization about ways to contribute.
For those on the fence about attending this year's event, Salter has a simple invitation.
"Come see what we have built," she said. "Prepare to be entertained."
