Hey everyone!

My name is Olivia Gilliard and I'd love to share with you all that I have been given an incredible opportunity to march with the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps this upcoming summer!

(I know it's a lot of reading so you're welcome to skip to the paragraph starting with bold lettering.)

Allow me to give some background on myself and the activity. Since 2021 I have been a part of multiple color guards in different marching organizations. In color guard we spin different pieces of equipment such as flags, rifles, sabers, and other inanimate objects that pertain to the theme; Simultaneously we are dancing, running, and jumping all across a large field to add emotion and tell a story that accents the music being played by our peers. In drum corps, the color guard is combined with musicians to create a full marching ensemble.

Drum corps is much different from high school and college level marching bands. In Drum Corps, performers spend nearly the entire summer practicing tirelessly through most hours of the day, rain or shine, hot or cold, & even spending very limited free time trying to perfect their craft. The organizations such as Spartans who participate in this activity fall under the umbrella of Drum Corps International. DCI also consists of traveling around the country to perform in different venues.

Over the last two years of my marching journey, I've experimented with Drum Corps International, and my love for color guard has grown larger than I could've ever thought! However, participating in groups like this is not cheap, and between traveling and tuition, it can cost thousands of dollars. In my previous years, I didn't ask for help, and my amazing mom has been carrying the load, but I am taking a big step into a higher-caliber organization this year, which unfortunately means more money. While she and I will be splitting the tuition, I, of course, would love to take some stress off of her since she's been so incredible and supportive of me.

My tuition this year is $5,400, which I have already paid $100 of. Tuition covers food, housing, equipment, travel, uniforms, and many more things that help the corps be successful. You don't have to donate a lot; $1 helps too. Even just sharing this helps tremendously!

Edit: Some things that I forgot, I will be posting my monthly payments for transparency on my facebook, and for those that prefer it, you can send me donations through Cash App or Venmo !

Venmo: @o-mg730 CA: $omg730

Thank you all for taking the time to read this (even if you skipped), share this, and even donate! I look forward to keeping you all updated about this opportunity for me to grow as a performer! ♡♡♡