Academy Tour Vehicle Stolen Means A Loss Of $12,000

The Academy had some very important equipment stolen Monday in Tempe in the area of Broadway and the 101 freeway. A utility vehicle and trailer were stolen which are used to move instruments onto the field before performances The Academy is only days from departure on its national performance tour, encompassing 35 days, competitions in 22 cities across the U.S., and 12,000 miles of travel by bus.

With donations down this year, the loss of the stolen equipment is a devastating blow on the eve of the summer tour. "We knew months ago that this would be a difficult year," said Executive Director Mark Richardson. "We’ve cut our spending budget everywhere we could without compromising our members’ experience. Replacing the vehicle and trailer would cost about $12,000 that we simply don’t have."

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