Eat the plum but give back a peach.
Vietnamese proverb

It's not often we stop to think what a gift the colorguard activity is to each of us.  The opportunity to dance and spin; the joy of passing on what you have learned; the close bonds of friendship experienced only by those who have journeyed a difficult path together;  the thrill of applause at the end of a performance.  We've all enjoyed these rewards in an activity which takes place -- in many respects -- in a relatively obscure world.  Colorguard is barely on the radar in the "real world" and that very obscurity makes what we do even more meaningful, more personal, and more rewarding.  Other people just don't get it and we're ok with that.  It's our special little plum.  But giving back peaches can be really special too! 

Sitao offers its members the opportunity to give back through it's Community Outreach program.  This year members volunteered afternoons every week during the season to prepare a group of kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Lancaster to be a colorguard.  The ultimate goal was to see them march in of the largest parades in Lancaster County.  On Saturday May 24th ten children (ranging from 1st to 4th grade) fufilled that goal.  In addition to instruction during those winter months, Sitao also provided uniforms(which the kids could keep) , flags, and parade vehicles for the event.  Afterwards each child received a community service medal and went to a pizza party at a local pizzeria. 

As they marched down Main Street in Mount Joy,  the look on the kids' faces when spectators applauded their performance made the entire experience a big fuzzy peach! (Watch Video).