Family Day BBQ Wraps Up First Week of Pre-Tour

Monday, May 28th, 2012 - 2:52 PM
By Dan Minkel

The Cavalier Alumni Association (CAA) invited family, friends, fans, and alumni to Benedictine University on Sunday, May 27, for the annual Family Day BBQ. The warm and sunny weather was perfect for the cookout centered around The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps.

Check out Family Day BBQ photos on Facebook

Alumni of The Cavaliers cooked pork, chicken, and bratwurst over two large grills while volunteers prepared food in the cook truck. Families gathered under a large green tent to meet with their members after practice and catch up on how well Pre-Tour has been progressing.

CAA president and event organizer, Chris Hartowicz, was pleased with the event turnout. "We're always excited for the Family Day BBQ," said Hartowicz. "It's great to see the families come to support their guys, and this is a great opportunity to see what the members have been doing for the last week."

Check out Family Day BBQ photos on Facebook

Families started arriving early in the day to watch the corps rehearse at the Benedictine University Sports Complex. Their arrival at the stadium gave the current members a rush of energy to finish out the rehearsal and put on a strong preview of the 2012 production.

Check out Family Day BBQ photos on Facebook

After a sneak peek of The Cavaliers 2012 program '15 Minutes of Fame,' families, friends, fans, and alumni headed over to the cookout. Plates were filled while families and friends got together to spent some time with the members.

"The alumni and current members always look forward to the BBQ," remarked Hartowicz. "The members get an important chance to meet and catch up with alumni of The Cavaliers."

Check out Family Day BBQ photos on Facebook

The relaxing evening ended with the annual Green & White Bags Tournament. Alumni and current members teamed up to compete for tour prizes, including snacks and other bus necessities.

Teams consisted of one alumnus and one current marching member representing each section of the corps (brass, percussion, and color guard). The highest scoring team from each section walked away with a bag of prizes and bragging rights for the year. Winners from the tournament included Manny Silveyra and Scott Burgett (color guard); Alexander Hernandez and Dale Hallerberg (percussion); Ian Caldwell and Dale Giantomasso, who were the brass winners and overall champions. Although the final round was very close, Ian and Dale celebrated their third year dominating the competition with another win of the Green & White Bags Tournament!

Check out Family Day BBQ photos on Facebook

The Family Day BBQ was a successful event that brought families together to support The Cavaliers. Seeing those close to the corps interacting with current members offered a calm moment to an otherwise intense week of learning. This is a great way to end the first week of Pre-Tour, and it gives the members a moment to catch their breath and get ready for another week of pushing themselves to be the best. The Cavaliers look to improve their productivity in the week ahead as members learn more of their 2012 production and push to their first performance in Akron, Ohio.

By Dan Minkel, Marketing Communications Intern

Founded in 1948, The Cavaliers are one of the most successful drum and bugle corps in history, winning 20 national championships, including seven Drum Corps International world championships since 1992. Each summer, 150 male brass, percussion and color guard performers aged 16-22 present a marching music show considered among the most challenging and original in the world.

The group performs at more than 30 competitions across the US and for more than 100,000 fans. Along the way, the young men not only learn about music and performing, but have a life-changing experience based on excellence, teamwork and camaraderie.

The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization sponsored by The Village of Rosemont, Illinois.