TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — If you attended this year’s homecoming parade, you may have noticed more marching bands than usual.

The Pike County Chamber of Commerce is working to increase the presence of high school marching bands in the yearly homecoming parade.

“Growing up in Troy we have attended many many homecoming parades in the past years,” said Chamber of Commerce member Christy Pittman. “We would have as many as 20 bands. Over the years it’s dwindled down and I know a lot of that’s budget constraints, but we decided that we were going to try to bring back the bands.”

The parade committee started reaching out to high school bands in the spring of last year. Pittman said six bands participated in this year’s homecoming parade and the committee is working to increase that number.

“We’ve been reaching out, trying to find out who to contact. We’re actually reaching out to the Sound of the South Alumni Chapter because they have many band directors that are part of their chapter to get them to help us recruit bands and bring their bands back.”

According to Pittman, bands that participated in the parade were given $500 from a corporate sponsor to offset traveling costs. The Chamber of Commerce hopes the parade will also serve as a recruiting tool.

“We also would love for them to stay and let these high school students experience Troy University,” Pittman told TrojanVision. “I would love to just encourage all of them to bring the kids, let them have a day, let them come to the game.”

Pittman said she and the rest of the parade committee are working to contact and recruit more bands to join in future homecoming parades.

“Every year we’re going to increase that goal and we’re going to keep raising the bar and, hopefully, in the years to come you’ll see 20 plus bands in the parade.”