Help Ryleigh Torres Shine with DCI- Spirit of Atlanta

Hi! My name is Ryleigh Torres and I am a senior at Bay High School, in Panama City, FL. I love color guard and have been a member of Bay High School's Million Dollar Band throughout high school, where I was captain of the team for the last two years! I have a passion for marching, music, choreography, and teamwork! I have dedicated the last four years of my life to music & arts in programs such as The Public Eye Soar, marching in parades, and I even had the honor to perform at the Bay Education Foundation's prestigious event, Arts Alive. I have also worked relentlessly to advance my skill level through joining Bay Breeze Winterguard and attending camps at universities. My passion for marching led me to take a HUGE risk and audition for Drum Corps International, DCI. I was selected to contract with Spirit of Atlanta on my first audition! No callbacks needed! Drum Corps International has promoted the marching arts for over 50 years through competitions nationwide. Each summer, young people collaborate to refine music and choreography, fostering personal growth, discipline, teamwork, and the joy of performance. With DCI experience, I hope to join a college color guard team and eventually become a color guard instructor!

Dear Friends, Family, and Business Owners,

I am excited to announce that I have been accepted as a member of the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps! I will be traveling with the corps this summer to compete as part of the 2025 Drum Corps International Summer Tour! It is truly exciting that out of the many who auditioned, I was selected as one of the 160 members of this year’s corps.

If you are not familiar with Drum Corps, you should know that for over 50 years, Drum Corps International has worked to advance the marching arts through competitions across the country. Every summer, young people share the experience of a lifetime as they work together to master a combination of music and intense choreography. Through this activity, they learn and grow together with other young people as they push to develop themselves through personal commitment, discipline, teamwork, the exhilaration of athletic achievement, and the pure joy of performance.

Following auditions, training for the corps begins with weekend rehearsal camps taking place almost every month during the spring. In June, more intensive all-day rehearsals begin, with members relocating to Jacksonville, Alabama for several weeks of training. During these rehearsals, members will spend over 12 hours a day working together to hone their skills and master their show. Following this intensive training, the corps will leave on tour, traveling via bus caravan across the United States and performing in a new city almost every day.

To participate, members must pay tuition and fees totaling almost $6,000 for the season. Would you consider helping me march by sponsoring me? Any amount you can give, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated, and 100% of your contribution goes directly towards offsetting my fees. This is a ONCE IN A LIFETIME opportunity and I am honored to represent Bay County! I myself am maintaining my academic goals while working a part-time job to offset these fees, but I cannot possibly earn enough to cover the full amount!

Thank you for your support, and for helping me to make history with the Spirit of Atlanta!

Sincerely,

Ryleigh Torres