You Absolutely Need To Sponsor A Drum Corps Meal!!!
A quick look at how to do it and which units are nailing the process.
Food and Drum Corps.
Is there anything finer???
When it comes time to help feed some Drum Corps units, I love jumping at the chance! These members eat plenty just to have the energy to entertain you. The LEAST you can do is buy them some Dino Nugs! Plus, you usually get a social media shout-out and we all know that currency is more valuable than anything.
Sponsoring a drum corps meal should consist of three things:
1. Ridiculously Easy
EVERY Drum Corps out there should have an easy-to-navigate way to sponsor one of their chow sessions. People totally want to help! Remove the roadblocks and let people take care of you all!
2. Cost Effective
Food is expensive now. I get it. It takes a lot of cash to feed a unit. Even letting someone sponsor the Gatorade mix or a fruit tray after a long day of rehearsal can help offset costs and we all know that every bit counts!
3. Options And More Options
This applies to not only what types of payments are taken but to what food stuffs I can help sponsor! I personally wouldn’t mind donating a little extra if I got to pick what the Drum Corps ate for that meal. I WILL introduce you Midwestern folks to barbacoa and Big Red! MARK MY WORDS!!!
The Sponsor-A-Meal donations are ones that I actively look for when trying to help a unit get through the season. The options for feeding your favorite Drum Corps are numerous. I HIGHLY encourage you, if you have the means, to look into helping out your favorite corps in this way!!! Let’s look at some units who are knocking out their food game.
Easiest: The Troopers
Mousing over the Donate button on their website brings up the Sponsor A Meal option. ONE click takes you to their online form where you can choose your meal options and enter pretty much all your information besides payment. Easy-of-use and a clear-cut layout is so helpful! They understand that people are willing to give especially if you make it absurdly simple to give up that paper!
Cost-Effective: The Blue Stars
Many units have meal or snack options that start around $150. The Blue Stars have streamlined their Sponsor-A-Meal pricing. For $250 a meal, you can be a sponsor for this fantastic group! Their Sponsor-A-Meal button takes you to a calendar where you can select a specific day you'd like to contribute to. The drop-down menu on the next page shows you how many meals for that day are up for sponsorship.
All The Options: The Cadets
Their Power The Cadets program shows you their entire tour calendar and what percentage of meals for a specific day are currently sponsored. Choose your day and you are taken to a page that has plentiful options. Select your meal (or all four) AND you can select extras like a Gatorade or Dessert Station!! They'll even let you leave a message to the Corps when your sponsored meal is served.
If your favorite group doesn't have a sponsorship program for meals, contact them directly so you can get involved!!! Let's feed these hard-working members all season long! And please keep our DCI Open Class units in mind when sponsoring meals!
And to prove that I walk the walk…
I’m closing this article with a special message for the Colt Cadets from Dubuque, Iowa!!! #feedthecorps