Band in the Sand is more than just a good time dancing in the dirt.

It's an opportunity for Lakeland agribusiness students to take the lead organizing all aspects of a large-scale fundraiser. It's the lessons learned during that process that will last long after the dust has settled, the band has finished their final song and the last guests have left the Equine Centre.

Headliners The Hunter Brothers performed for 1,820 people on Oct. 19 at the Vermilion campus - the event raised $65,000 for student clubs. Two Lakeland alumni, Connor Adams and Nolan Blair, opened the show.

“It went really well,” says Katherine Oeggerli, one of the student organizers. “People really seemed to enjoy it this year and our sales were up as well, which was really exciting.”

On the first day of class, 25 agribusiness students were tasked with organizing Band in the Sand and hit the ground running, working together on all aspects of the event. Morgan Lamontagne and Oeggerli were appointed leaders by Cole Ambrock, the agribusiness teacher who served as advisor for the project.

Lamontagne, who initially wanted a position in finance or another area, was surprised when Ambrock put her in a leadership position, but she decided to use the opportunity to step up her game. The opportunity taught Lamontagne the biggest lesson she took away from the entire experience.

“Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone,” she says. “Push yourself to do something that you never thought you'd be able to. It does all come together in the end.”

There were some challenges during the process, Oeggerli says, especially when it came to communicating with the group working on the project, and it's a lesson that has informed her managerial style.

“It all turned out okay and we knew it would,” she explains. “Things would come up and we thought if it was better communicated by our team, it would have run a little more smoothly. Everyone has a different style they work with. It's important to be able to adapt to their style in a management position.”

Together, Oeggerli and Lamontagne credit Ambrock with making sure the entire experience was an enjoyable one.

“It was definitely a really good learning experience,” Oeggerli explains. “And the whole thing couldn't have been done without our teacher. He really set the tone.”

At the end of the evening, 1,820 people had an amazing time, the event was packed up in time for Fall Classic Rodeo action on Sunday, and 25 agribusiness students built important skills including teamwork, leadership, problem solving and communication.

The event was born from Lakeland's partnership with New Holland, who began providing annual funding for a student-based activity meant to benefit student clubs in 2013 as part of their overall sponsorship agreement.

Photo: (Top) Student organizers celebrate at Band in the Sand, a fundraiser for student clubs. (Bottom) Fans in the front row enjoy the show.