Sustainability
Drum corps is always changing with the times (remember the days before trombones? Or amplification? Or even before sideline front ensembles?). But it's no secret that our activity has a long way to go when it comes to being environmentally friendly. Consider just the travel in a single summer tour: An average season sees drum corps traveling millions of vehicle miles - almost 2 million vehicle miles for the top 12 alone in a single summer. That adds up to more than a hundred and fifty thousand gallons of fuel. That's fifteen of the biggest tanker trucks you'll see, just to fuel drum corps!
Every time we tour, we get to see so much of the beauty and breadth of our country. We need to do our part to care for it and help offset the environmental impact of our activity. That's why Phantom Regiment has partnered with One Tree Planted, a nonprofit organization that plants one tree for every dollar donated. It's a simple idea that's led to more than 11 million trees planted so far, and many millions more going into the ground in the near future.
Why trees? Besides just being nice to hang out under during a water break, trees help absorb harmful pollutants, act as natural carbon sinks, reduce erosion and provide habitat for wildlife...and that's just for starters. A mature tree absorbs an average of 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. That's the amount of carbon dioxide produced in about 300 miles of travel for one of our tour buses.
If this sounds like a great idea to you, and you'd like to chip in a buck (or a few!) for the trees, you can make a contribution at checkout here in The Phan Shop. Thanks for helping to support Phantom Regiment, and support our planet, too.