A note from our CEO
For everyone, the past month has been an unprecedented personal challenge. For drum corps fans, and patrons of the "marching arts," that challenge has included the loss of so many of the events and traditions that we cherish. Each summer the Bluecoats community comes together in support of the corps, united by the love that we all have for drum corps. Our fans join us at shows, rehearsals, and in theaters, and all across social media. The summer is the foundation of our year, and unfortunately we've had to cancel.
Following DCI's announcement, the Bluecoats family had several webinars -a 300-person "circle up" with the corps members, an all hands staff meeting, and a heartfelt video call with more than 200 alumni. These calls were tear-filled, and discussed candidly the immense financial challenge that Bluecoats faces following a season cancellation.
The entire Bluecoats family has responded with immense support, and I'm eternally grateful.
Bluecoats will need to raise more than $300,000 to survive this cancellation. The indefinite closure of our major Canton fundraising events, and the removal of 100% of summer tour related income is a massive challenge.
Many of our supporters have asked how best they can help. There are three things:
Make a one-time contribution today at bluecoats.com/give.
Join The Shield, our monthly giving society. You'll gain access to an exclusive community of our most ardent supporters.
Donate all or part of any refunds owed to you from our cancelled events. Information can be found at bluecoats.com/refunds.
Speaking of refunds, many of you might have questions about our cancelled events, or how you can be refunded for the tickets you've purchased or events that you've registered for. That information can all be found on our website. We've also created an FAQ page where we're compiling answers to the questions our supporters are asking most about this summer.
One question I'm getting often - "what does this mean for Bluecoats programming?" The entire organization is steadfastly committed to ensuring two things:
We will provide as much of the Bluecoats Experience to our 2020 corps participants as we can. That includes monthly virtual events and keeping our physical and mental health program BluecoatStrong alive all summer.
We will work to extend Bluecoats programming to as many of our fans, students, and supporters as we can during what will surely be an unusually quiet summer.
The bottom line - I am blown away by the immense support that we have received from our community, and I'm forever grateful to those willing to #donatetherefund, join The Shield, or make an online gift. I will never forget the generosity we experienced during the Covid-19 crisis. I know I speak for our entire staff, and all of our students when I say "thank you."
Be well,
Mike Scott
Chief Executive Officer
Bluecoats
