For the past 50 years, the Santa Clara Vanguard has been officially known as The Santa Clara Vanguard Booster Club. In its early years, the name served the organization well, but as Vanguard evolves and expands its mission, the time has come for a change.
On March 17, Vanguard announced an official name change, doing away with The Santa Clara Vanguard Booster Club title–one many were unaware was the organization’s official moniker–and emerging as Vanguard Music and Performing Arts (VMAPA). VMAPA will continue to use Santa Clara Vanguard within its performance units, but the new official name reflects Vanguard’s desire to “consider programs that will allow our organization to better serve a more diverse, larger population of members, alumni and students with an emphasis on audience expansion and community engagement,” according to Executive Director Charles Frost.
The change to VMAPA and the organization’s new, expanded mission were catalysts for Vanguard’s launch of a capital giving campaign–naming opportunities for donors who give between $5,000 and $600,000–that will propel the organization forward. “Building Our Future” aims to raise $1.1 million, much of which will be used for changes that will benefit the entire community.
The bulk of the funds ($600,000) will go toward building a new “Miss Amana,” Vanguard’s mobile kitchen, which serves over 52,000 meals to the corps and color guard each summer. The updated food trailer will provide Vanguard with more opportunities to serve Santa Clara County and beyond.
“One of the most exciting things,” said Frost, “is Second Harvest Food Bank has given us a verbal commitment to partner with us … they’ll give us food, we’ll take the truck and ask community partners to provide volunteers and we’ll do homeless meals for Santa Clara County–even San Mateo County. Second Harvest Food Bank wants to set up a really solid program so people know where they can go to get food.”
The upgraded “Miss Amana” will include ovens, grills, a washing station, stainless steel counters, storage and shelving, a washer and dryer, walk-in fridge, outdoor lighting, fresh water system and good ventilation–something the current “Miss Amana” lacks.
Additionally, $260,000 will be raised for “program facility upgrades,” another $150,000 for “equipment and instruments,” and the remaining funds ($90,000) will go to Vanguard’s “core mission support.” Facility upgrades will include remodeling Vanguard’s percussion room, creating practice cubicles to provide lessons and updating building signage. When the project is complete, Vanguard plans to offer dance classes, piano instruction and other music lessons.
There is currently talk of doing behind-the-scenes tours once a month to allow members of the community to see the hall, have lunch and watch the corps rehearse. “We’re going to do a big push to be back in the community,” said Frost.
Vanguard kicked off the year by performing in the 129th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, getting national attention for the City and bringing awareness to the competitive world of organized drum corps. On June 24–the same weekend as DCI West at Stanford and Pacific Procession in Santa Clara–Vanguard will host its 50th anniversary gala, in conjunction with The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (Concord), which will be celebrating its 60th year.
Visit http://scvanguard.org/building-our-future-capital-campaign/ for more information on the giving campaign or to donate and http://scvanguard.org/2017-gala-event/ to buy tickets to the gala.
