As you can see from our April "In Case You Missed It" video, NL had a very eventful April. With all that and another month before our summer season officially launches on June 3, you'd think that the NLDBC admin staff would be taking a much-needed breather, right? No Way! We are even more energized and running full speed for the 2023 season! Click READ MORE for some important May details you won't want to miss!! Fundraising and ways to support -On May 1 you can join Northern Lights at Panera Bread in Muskegon at 1710 Sherman Blvd, Muskegon MI 49444 from 4-8pm! Every time someone mentions Northern Lights DBC, 20% of the purchase will benefit the corps! May 1 will begin the Support An NLDBC Member Sponsorship Fundraiser! You can choose any day in May and donate that date's amount to a corps member! For example, May 15 will mean a $15 donation. Most fundraisers put on by Northern Lights for the 2023 have benefited the corps' general fund but our Support An NLDBC Member fundraiser will allow members to decrease their individual membership fees, which are currently set at $150 per member! To learn more about how you can sponsor Northern Lights members - CLICK HERE! Community support from within -From the beginning, Northern Lights has been for and by the community that we serve, both in the members we welcome into our ranks and the community partnerships we are forming without whom we would not be able to fulfill our mission of a financially and socially inclusive drum corps experience for all who seek it. It's easy to understand the impact that community donors and sponsors can have on our corps - it's in the numbers. More donations, more sponsors, more partnerships all contribute to a higher member experience and lower dues. I am starting to get impatient when I think about performing for the community that has opened its arms to us - to start giving back! Without this support, Northern Lights would never be able to live up to one of the most important aspects of our mission, which is to remove the financial barrier that typically comes with participation in marching arts. But I want to touch on something a little more personal - As corps director, I get a special front row seat to the forming of our corps - and I have to tell you that it is a true honor to witness this group not just getting together, but bonding over a shared love for drum corps, passion for music, willingness to learn, and humanity. It fills my heart with warmth to witness the support our members freely offer one another. At Northern Lights, "all age-corps" doesn't just mean "all experience levels" but it means all walks of life. I am so proud of what we're building here - a safe and inclusive space filled with members that celebrate one another. On a financial level, we are proud to offer a member experience at a low financial commitment but understand that no matter how hard we try, low might not be low enough. That humanity I mentioned a moment ago shines through so brightly every time I have a member reach out and offer to sponsor another who needs it, or when someone posts in our Band app that they have an extra to share, time to meet and work together, a smile, a shoulder, a friend. If we've only met in person 3 times and already this level of camaraderie is happening and giving me all the feels. I've said it a hundred times, and I'll say it a million more - we're onto something truly special here. I can't wait to see how far we'll go. Misty OlmsteadMisty is the executive corps director of Northern Lights
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |