Valley Fever

Valley Fever Drum & Bugle Corps was founded in Modesto, California, in 1979 by Gary Runsten, a local band director and Chairman of Music for the Modesto City Schools. Gary Runsten remained as the managing director of the corps through its organizational years of 1979 through 1993.

The initial competitive year of 1980 produced a corps of 80 and an appearance at the Drum Corps Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1981 the corps membership quickly grew to the 120’s where it remained for the next three years. In 1981 Gary Meegan was added as Brass Caption head and Gary Gilroy as Percussion caption head and staff coordinator. Performance and competitive success grew with the corps and from 1981 to 1984 the corps finished four times in the top 24 open corps.

In 1983 the corps changed its stylistic look as Dave Gibbs became the Visual Design consultant. Also in the summer of 1983 Bobby Hoffman joined the staff as visual caption head and staff coordinator, and remained through the 1984 season.

Valley Fever was supported through their initial years by an active booster organization which raised up to $330,000 for annual budgets. In 1985 the corps became inactive due to financial concerns. The corps made a competitive comeback in 1986, and did travel to Madison for the DCI Championships. But financial concerns forced the corps back into competitive inactivity for the next six years. During that time they did do various local performances, parades, and Drum Corps West group activities such as the Fiesta Bowl Parade on New Years.

The corps finally closed its doors in 1993. "Fever" a new local corps also based in Modesto was formed and directed about ten years later by Lew Wilhelm, a former member of the original Valley Fever program.

[Submitted by Gary Runsten - Sept 2008]

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