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Kevin Rouse believes raising money should be fun. So the 28-year-old instrumental music teacher at Northwest High School turned a simple fundraiser into an all night party for more than 50 pajama-wearing band members.

"I did this when I was in high school," said Rouse, who is also the band and orchestra director. "It's real easy and a lot of fun for them."

Money raised at the Fourth Annual All Night-A-Thon, which started at 10 p.m. Friday and ended at 8 a.m. Saturday, will go toward buying new instruments and repairing old ones, Rouse said. Some of the money will go toward buying music, Rouse said. Band members collected pledges from family and friends and Rouse expects the total haul to be more than the $2,500 raised last year.

"It's surprising how much money we get each year off of pledges," said Rouse, in his fourth year of teaching at Northwest. "That's why I stay up every year."

Two years ago, the music department bought a standing bass that cost $2,000 and a tuba for $5,000.

"The instruments and their upkeep aren't cheap, that's for sure," Rouse said.

The cafeteria was turned into a party room with junk food such as potato chips, cookies, candy, juice and pizza. Some energized teens opted to sit on the floor and chat with friends about band practice while others watched movies or played video games on one of the 11 televisions.

"It's kind of weird that we're not here for an education, but we're here for fun," said freshman violinist Freddy Palacios, 14, of Germantown. "This fundraiser is really fun because all we had to do was send out letters and stay awake all night having fun."

Anne Gamberell of Germantown was one of the parents who toughed it out with the students. This was the second year she joined her daughter Brittany, 16, a sophomore and member of the color guard, at the fundraiser. Gamberell, who brought more than 15 pizzas, said "this is better than selling stuff door-to-door."

"It's pretty exhausting staying up all night," Gamberell said. "But it's worth it because it's safer than having our children out selling stuff in the neighborhoods."

Helping raise money is what brought Steven D'Amato, 15, of Germantown out for a second year.

"This is something that helps our music department," said D'Amato, a sophomore tenor saxophonist. "Plus it's always pretty fun to be around my marching band friends."

Mail checks to Northwest High School, ATTN: Kevin Rouse, 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown, MD 20874. All checks should be made out to Northwest High School.