SA Band at University of Richmond Stadium

The University of Richmond football team played the last game in their old stadium on Saturday, 21 November 2009. The Salvation Army was invited to set up Christmas kettles at the main entrance before and after the game, supported by a composite band made up of members of the National Capital Band, Salvationist musicians from the Richmond area, and students from the Salvation Army’s School of the Performing Arts in Richmond. The band provided musical support at the kettles and played a march on the field during the halftime celebrations.

The event was organized by Bandmaster Matt Sims, Music Director for the Richmond Area Command. The composite band presented 35 minutes of music before the game and about 20 minutes after the game, with two kettles set up. This was also one of the first uses of the new system for accepting credit card donations at the kettle. The first donation received was a $100 bill, setting the tone for a successful event. In total, more than $700 was raised with the kettles in place for a total of about one hour.

As it was the last game in the old University of Richmond Stadium, the opponent was rival William & Mary (based in Williamsburg, a short drive down Interstate 64 from Richmond), and the game was to decide the conference championship, the crowd was large – over 15,000 people. The game ended in dramatic fashion, with the Richmond Spiders winning on a field goal with only two seconds remaining in the game. It was exciting for the Salvation Army to be included in this event, particularly for the young people from the School of the Performing Arts.