Pearl Jam gives poster to marching band

The Havre High School marching band has just received a Pearl Jam concert poster, autographed by all the band members, to be raffled off and the money donated to the high school marching band for its upcoming trip to Washington the July 4 weekend.

Havre Middle School Assistant Principal Mark Irvin described navigating a series of networks to get the limited edition autographed concert poster from the band to Havre.

Irvin said he'd been a student teacher in Big Sandy some time ago, the same town Pearl Jam bass player Jeff Ament is from. Irvin said he knew some people there who knew about the band's generosity, and particularly Ament's.

"He's very giving," Irvin said of Ament.

Irvin said he was connected to Jeff Ament's Army, a grassroots organization that supports Ament's charitable work, and eventually to the Ten Club, which is the Pearl Jam fan club endorsed by the band.

The reason he had to go through so many different channels to finally get ahold of the band, he said, is because the band members, although supportive of many causes, also want to protect their privacy.

Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson was giddy with excitement when he unrolled and presented the poster to everyone in the room during Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting. He commented, laughingly, for anyone who hasn't washed their hands to avoid touching the poster.

As for how much more money the marching band needs for its trip to Washington, Carlson said after the meeting, it's somewhere between $4,000 and $5,000. He said he's confident the money will be raised in time.

"They're in pretty good shape," he said.

Irvin said he will notify the press as to when the poster will be raffled off.

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