Foundation Focus: Drill Team and the Admiral’s Own Band
For as long as our flag has flown high at Farragut, our Drill Teams and Band have been part of our culture and identity. Both allow our cadets to take their craft to the next level and help to represent our school within the community whether performing in front of crowds, representing us in the community, hosting dignitaries, or visiting local schools or hospitals to spread good fortune. Today, both remain very active and show no sign of slowing down.
Roughly five years ago, the Admiral Farragut Academy Foundation, Inc. developed two specific funds to help address the growth we were experiencing with both Drill and Band. While much of the cost to run both are part of our school budget, the Drill Team and Band Funds help to address the smaller needs both groups need as their numbers and schedules grow. Items such as new rifles for our armed mixed drill team or uniform accessories for our silent unarmed team. Our band has recently purchased new equipment for our drumline and percussion section, as well as sheet music, new music stands, and uniform accessories.
While being a member of our Drill Team or Marching Band are uniquely different, they are also similar in many ways. Both demand time and determination, along with coordination and commitment. Through the support of our alumni, parents, and outside organizations, both our Admiral Farragut Academy Drill Team and Band Funds have grown each and every year to support those commitments of our cadets. With every distribution from our Foundation to each of these valuable programs at Farragut, we are offering cadets the opportunity to hone their talents and be a part of something bigger than themselves.
Since the Foundation’s development in 1997, we have developed a number of “buckets” under the umbrella of the school’s endowment to benefit those areas that were meaningful to our alumni donors. Whether that be for scholarship gifts from various classes, athletics, or financial aid, these individual funds provide an opportunity for our donors to direct their contributions in a way that is meaningful to them. Transparency and accountability are very important to us as a school and our two governing boards.
Today, more than 75 young men and women proudly participate on our Drill Team or Band and are grateful to the hundreds of donors who have helped influence their experience at Farragut. While our Foundation holds many funds, these funds are two of our more active funds and play an enormous role in the success and future of both groups.
If your passion lies in one of these funds, please contact our Advancement Team 727-343-3678 to see how you can make a difference.
