The full name of the organization is the Arizona Academy for Performing Arts and is 20 years old. The Drum & Bugle Corps is described as an "extreme marching band". The Academy is part of Drum Corps International which has existed for 30 years. The Academy has two corps - (1) Phenom which is for high school kids - the average age is 16.5 and (2) The Drum & Bugle Corps which enrolls college students - the average age is 18.5.  Each year the Academy tours the country for 80 days during the summer. The Corps has 154 participants and the total entourage on tour is 200. The Dues, $45 per day, cover 64% of the cost while the remainder comes from grants, gifts, and corporate support. The Academy stresses the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and continual improvement.  Their motto is "the effort is the prize". Mark showed us a few impressive videos.  The Corps will be participating in "Drums Across the Desert" on Monday June 29th at 7:30 pm at Mesa Community College.

Kevin told us about his interest in professional sports and his experience with several organizations, including 6 years with the Phoenix Suns. He has been the Executive Director of First Tee for the past 6 years. First Tee works with kids from 7 to 17 to teach them life values as well as golf. There are 17 courses in the Valley that host this program. Each segment involves two 1-hour sessions per week for 8 weeks. The kids take certification tests which allow them to move up to various levels.  Kids can earn scholarships and donors often sponsor kids.  The cost is $135 dollars per year. There are 1700 kids in the Valley participating in this program and Kevin estimates that over 100,000 kids in the Valley have been impacted by the program. There are over 700 volunteers in the Phoenix area that sponsor and/or work with the kids. This is an impressive organization that helps young people develop their life-value skills, such as honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment. First Tee's moto is enriching lives one round at a time. Participant ethnicity is 52% White or Caucasian, 14% Black or African-American, 19% Latino or Hispanic, 6% Asian, 8% Multi-Racial, less than 1% Native American or Native Alaskan, less than 1% Pacific Islander. Readers are invited to check out their excellent website.