Celebration In Brass Returns In Waukee
Waukee High Stadium will be the new home for the “Celebration in Brass” — Central Iowa’s famed drum and bugle corps competition which was an annual tradition in nearby Ankeny for 25 years — on Tuesday, July 12, starting at 7 p.m. The Drum Corps International (DCI) contest had been a successful annual fundraiser for the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce from 1982 through 2007.
The Colts Youth Organization from Dubuque and the Waukee High Band Boosters will team up to co-sponsor the new “Celebration in Brass,” with assistance from the Waukee Chamber of Commerce. Officials from the Ankeny Chamber permitted the new sponsors to restore the name to the show.
Ten people attended the Celebration in Brass organizational meeting for volunteers on Wednesday, May 3, at the Waukee Family YMCA. Attendees included (L to R):
Sitting: Leslie Cutler, Waukee Band Boosters; Mark Hanson, Waukee resident. Standing: Susan Dunn, manager of Travel and Transport Vacations in Urbandale; David Cunningham, president, Waukee Band Booster; Connie Tow, director of community education, Waukee Community Schools; Jeff Patterson, director, Waukee High School Band; Mike Ferlazzo, Celebration in Brass marketing team; Travis Graven, assistant multimedia editor, The Des Moines Register; and Brandt Crocker, who will serve as DCI contest coordinator the night of the show. Photo by Melinda Behn, executive director, Waukee Chamber of Commerce
“Through shows we’ve sponsored the last two summers, we’ve been working to fill the void left in Central Iowa when the Celebration in Brass was discontinued after 2007,” said Greg Orwoll, executive director of the Colts Youth Organization. “And in taking the show to Waukee, we believe we’ve found the same kind of community support for it that Ankeny had all those years – making it annually one of the top community shows on the DCI schedule. We’re thankful to the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to restore the name, which carries such local history.”
“We’re thrilled to be bringing a show of this caliber to Waukee and look forward to teaming up with the Colts organization to make it an annual highlight on the local entertainment calendar,” said David Cunningham, Waukee High Band Booster president. “We also hope to make this a profitable fundraiser to help us meet the expanding financial needs of our growing band program.”
Seven of the nation’s top marching musical units will compete in this year’s show, including the defending DCI world champion Blue Devils from Concord, Calif., who have won a record 14 world championships; last year’s DCI runners-up The Cavaliers from Rosemont, Ill., who have won seven world championships; and “Iowa’s Ambassadors of Music” the Colts, who typically have some Central Iowa members. Perennial DCI World Class finalists the Boston Crusaders from Boston, Mass. and Glassmen from Toledo, Ohio will join with the Cascades from Woodinville, Wash. and Dubuque’s Colt Cadets – CYO’s more local, younger corps – to round out the show’s lineup.
There are plans to have the massed bands from the Waukee Community Schools – potentially some 900 young musicians – open the show by performing the national anthem. Organizers are also hoping to have an alumni honor guard from Des Moines’ famed precision drill team The Stepperettes – which won nine national championships between 1958 and 1977 – present the colors.
Tickets are now on sale and sell as low as $15. They may be purchased at www.colts.org, or by calling 563-582-4872 . A $5 discount is available for groups of 10 or more. For group sales, please email: tickets [at] colts [dot] org.
Additional information is available by emailing celebration [at] colts [dot] org or online at www.colts.org/celebration11.asp. Celebration in Brass is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celebrationinbrass or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CelinBrass.
