(This story is borrowed from ActiveDayton.com)

By Pamela Ferris-Olson
For the Dayton Daily News
Thursday, October 31, 2002

CENTERVILLE--Musicians from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana will be filling the stadiums at Centerville, Beavercreek and Springboro high schools Saturday as family, friends and marching band enthusiasts come to watch the 2002 Mid-States Band Association championships.

The precise moves of the high school musicians during their Mid-States performances are matched off the field by a cadre of volunteers who handle competition details--from ordering trophies to running the concession stands.

As anyone with a teenager knows, the most important job is likely to be feeding the band members. At Centerville, the task of feeding nearly 200 musicians and color guard members is carefully choreographed.

During the 2002 marching band season, Centerville has competed in at least six competitions that have been as close as Springboro and as far away as Toledo. To keep costs down and to reduce the delays that come when 200 teenagers descend on a restaurant, band parents organize "foodings" to collect food items used when the band is on the road.

When Centerville attends the BOA Grand Nationals in two weeks, band parents will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner and several snacks each day. This amounts to 30 to 35 large boxes filled with food, six large coolers of beverages and another 20 cases of soda and water.

Everything from mini-muffins and cereal to pudding cups and crackers are gathered from parents to keep food costs down and band energy high. Each band family is assigned a specific food item in a quantity that will cost them between $5 and $7. The food is delivered a few days before each competition, then boxed up for travel.

Diane Conroy, a band parent and "fooding" volunteer, estimates that without this effort, band members would be spending upward of $9 each for each meal.

"No matter how they perform, at least they eat well," said P.J. Willey, another band parent and "fooding" volunteer.

Foodings fueled Centerville's band, named grand champion at the Bands of America regional tournaments in Toledo on Sept. 28 and in Massillon on Oct. 12.

The Mid-States Band Association competition has grown so large that it requires three high schools to host the event.

The association is comprised of high school band directors and music educators from Ohio and neighboring states. The organization hosts the championships each fall to honor and recognize bands for their efforts.

For some bands, this is the last competition of the 2002 season.

For others, such as Centerville and Northmont, the Bands of America Grand Nationals scheduled for Nov. 14-16 in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis will be the season finale.

Waynesville, Vandalia Butler, Lebanon, Springboro, Miamisburg, Northmont, Bellbrook and Kettering Fairmont are among the units performing in Centerville's stadium. Centerville will not be competing because it is serving as a host for the competition.

The preliminary rounds will begin at 1 p.m., with the Class AAA and Open Class bands competing in Centerville, Class AA bands in Beavercreek, and Class A bands in Springboro.

Tickets cost $5 for the preliminary round and $6 for the finals or $10 for the entire day.

Copyright © 2002, Cox Ohio Publishing. All rights reserved.