Dear Friend of the Phantom Regiment:

Can you imagine: a standing ovation for the entire last minute of a performance? Well, that's exactly what happened at the end of the 2011 Phantom Regiment show this year at the world championships! The applause and roar of the crowd was amazing, and it's because of what our young men and women accomplished on the field. Phantom Regiment, which earned a spot in the top five at the recently concluded Drum Corps International World Championships in Indianapolis, continues to create moving and entertaining performances for its fans. This will no doubt be another classic Regiment show that will be talked about for years.

Our 2011 tour took us from coast to coast again. Not only do I believe it's important for us to get in front of as many fans across the country as possible, but I also think it's our duty to provide an experience of a lifetime for the members, some of whom had never been to California, while others had never been to New Jersey. We performed in front of more sellout crowds this year than I can ever remember and performed in some of the biggest and most well-known stadiums: Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.); Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.); Mile High (Denver, Colo.); Alamodome (San Antonio); Georgia Dome (Atlanta), New Meadowlands Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) and Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Ind.). All part of the experience we are able to provide these young people that they would get nowhere else.

We also continue to bring the Phantom Regiment experience to other young people through our educational camps. Our newest locations this year were University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Of course, we still have the original and largest camps at home in Rockford. Speaking of Rockford, we also helped with the Rockford High School All-Star Concert and are in talks with the Rockford Public Schools on how we can assist the local marching bands as well. So, as you can see, we are continuing to expand our reach to as many young people as possible – to provide a life-changing experience second to none.

Part of the experience we provide in the summer comes from the excellent all-you-can eat meals the members enjoy from our kitchen trailer. This year, with the help of a parent of a corps member, that trailer was structurally rebuilt from the tires up. As with any home improvement project, once you start, you end up finding more to fix than you originally thought. Covering these cost overruns is the primary goal for this year's end of year fund-raising campaign.

Please help the organization and the young people it serves by making a donation today. Even if it's $5, $10 or $25...every dollar will help. Those who contribute $60 or more can receive our annual coffee mug with the 2011 Juliet logo to add to their collection. (Due to the costs, this is the last year for the annual mug. We will come up with something different next year). There are only a limited number of mugs available, so request yours today! For those who are able to donate at higher levels, there are additional gifts you can receive.

Please help guarantee the continuing strength of Phantom Regiment by making your tax-deductible donation today below. Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Rick Valenzuela
Executive Director