I don't know if we are average fans or not, but this is the story of my husband, my sister and myself. We first learned about drum corps when our son was in his highschool band. We attended many shows in the late 70's and early 80's. After our son moved to Hawaii for school and we moved to Michigan, we saw no shows for several years. Later we moved to South Carolina and tried to attend shows in Winston Salem every summer. I had never heard of DCA until four years ago when our son joined the "San Francisco Renegades". We went to DCA finals in 2002 and that is where it began again. With us it isn't just about the music and the marching. It is about the corps itself. They are not just the "Renegades", they are now our family. This began the first day that we arrived in Scranton. We only see these "kids" once a year, but when we meet in Scranton, it is like a family reunion. We are called "Dad and Mom, and Aunt Sonnie" by most. We love it. Our son didn't get to start the season with the Renegades this year, but we still got tickets for prelims and finals in case that stuation changed. While we were at the Winston Salem show, we were asked to "please go to Scranton", that we are "their biggest fans" and just had to be there to cheer them on. How could we say no to "our family". The next week,our son was ask to march the spot of a fellow Renegade who had been called to active duty serving our country in Afghanistan. Now we knew nothing would keep us from Scranton. We have met fans and members of other corps over the past four years and look forward to seeing them each time we go. This is why we continue to be "The average DCA fan. We love drum corps, but most of all, We "LOVE THE SAN FRANCISCO RENEGADES"! See you in Scranton!
P.S. Does the "Average DCA Fan" drive two days to get to Scranton, decorate their van, hang signs around the hotel, greet the corps when they first arrive at the hotel and have other fans ask if they can take their picture? If so, we are just that and love every minute of it....."God bless you, Al" Be safe and know that you are in our prayers.