When the Cienega High School Band Boosters were looking for a source of income to support the band, they saw potential in the back side of the football field scoreboard, which faces Vail’s main thoroughfare, East Mary Ann Cleveland Way.

Last week, after three years of planning, a 24-foot-wide, 13-foot-high frame was attached to the back of the scoreboard and panels promoting nine advertisers were installed.

“It’s a win-win situation for the band, the advertisers and the community,” said Nancy Simpson, band booster president. “It benefits the band by providing fund raising, it benefits the advertisers by promoting their service and it benefits the community by letting them know services are available in the Vail and Tucson area since we are growing so rapidly and we need more businesses and services up here.”…

The first year of advertising paid for the billboard, which was less than $15,000, said band booster mom MaryAnne Barrett. Next year the board should begin generating revenue.

Youngquist said the organization hasn’t decided how much to charge for the advertising spaces, but “even if each panel is $1,000, that’s $9,000 for the band.”
Whatever the boosters determine the advertising cost to be, “it will be significantly less expensive than what people pay for the newspaper or a phone ad,” she said.
“They’re getting an extremely good deal.”