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Ridgewood Knights of Columbus Continue 4th of July Tradition by Sponsoring Drum and Bugle Corp.
Ridgewood-NJ-July 11, 2011: When the annual Ridgewood 4th of July parade ended in 2005, after the crowds dispersed and headed home to barbecue with friends and neighbors, Ridgewood resident and Knights of Columbus member Tim Bradley came upon a group of youths in the Graydon Pool parking lot that had marched in the parade. With nowhere to go, he invited them back to his home. What he was not prepared for was a bus carrying the entire Spirit of Newark Drum and Bugle Corps rolling up to his house.
Bradley and his neighbors had to scramble to gather enough hot dogs, hamburgers, and sodas to handle the deluge. The Corps was so appreciative of the warm reception they received, they gave the entire block a private performance. And so began an annual tradition and alliance between the Ridgewood Knights and the Spirit of Newark. Over the years, the post-parade celebration eventually worked its way from Bradley’s house to the Knights of Columbus Hall on South Broad Street.
The Spirit of Newark is part of Drum Corps International (DCI), a non-profit organization dedicated to junior drum corps activity. The Spirit of Newark is the only touring corps that hails from the inner city. A big part of the daily mission of the Spirit of Newark is to foster and encourage at-risk youth to stay in school and do well. However, because of the high rates of crime and poverty, there are more obstacles they must overcome.
“The art of drum and bugle corps is not only a unique and effective deterrent to gangs, violence, and juvenile delinquency for minority youth, but also an attractive and successful way to show them the outside / real world”, said Glenn Eng, Executive Director. “In addition, the college level training and performance demanded by drum and bugle corps competition further increases an inner city youngster’s appetite for success and better things”.
Pictured below, Tim Bradley presents a donation to Executive Director Glenn Eng to help support their activities. For more information, go to https://www.spiritofnewark.org/spirit_fund.php.
