COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus music company, a drum manufacturer and three traveling drum corps are teaming up to help out a central Ohio marching band left with outdated and inadequate equipment when a booster allegedly stole tens of thousands of the band’s funds.
Columbus Pro Percussion, the Mapex Drum Company, and Drum Corps International’s Jersey Surf, Pacific Crest, and Blue Knights corps are “banding” together to help the Watkins Memorial High School Marching Band following the loss of the money that had been earmarked for new band instruments, said a release from Drum Corps International.
A Pataskala man was indicted last week by a Licking County grand jury in Newark on one felony count of theft for allegedly stealing $67,000 from the band’s fund.
Indianapolis-based group Drum Corps International’s 2014 Summer Tour will stop at the Emerald City Music Games at Dublin Coffman High School Monday night and, during the competition, representatives from Columbus Pro Percussion will join the corps to present new Mapex marching percussion and a check on behalf of Mapex and Columbus Pro Percussion to the band.
A special fundraising website has been set up in support the Watkins Memorial High School Drumline, DCI said.