Southside High School to Host Celebration to Honor Tom Hammond

MUNCIE, IN - "Spirit of South" Band and Guard, the Southside High School five-time champion of the Indiana State Fair Marching Band Contest, will host a “Celebrate the Arts” event in honor of former Backyard Broadcasting News Director Tom Hammond today, February 28, 2008,  at Wilson Middle School. 

Directors, staff, and members of the award-winning band and color guard unit have wanted a chance to recognize the support that Hammond offered by his attendance and announcing at contests throughout the years, and decided to plan an arts event that would publicly recognize Hammond as well as help fund new uniforms for the 2008 marching season.

The event, “The Tom Hammond Celebrate the Arts Chili Supper” will feature the “Spirit of South” Jazz Band and the Wilson Middle School Concert Band during the chili supper. Serving will begin at 5:30 p.m. At the conclusion of dinner, the high school’s two color guard groups will perform their 2008 show. Admission for the chili supper is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 12 and under.  

The band will purchase approximately 100 new uniforms including pants, jackets, sashes, and helmets for the 2008 season and beyond. The uniforms are black with a large silver sequined star on the front of the jacket and feature a cap-like shoulder and stand-up collar. The helmets are black and will be trimmed in silver braid and be topped with a black feather plume.  

The high school was presented a plaque naming Tom Hammond as WLBC’s “Educator of the Month” for his support of the band following his unexpected death March 14, 2007. Hammond was a graduate of Southside High School and one of the band’s most loyal fans.  

Hammond, a trumpet student, won the Southside High School “Louis Armstrong Award” in 1984 for "Outstanding Jazz Performer." 

Source: Muncie Community Schools Press Release