Ridgerunners

The corps was formed around 1970 as a parade corps by the Stanwix Heights Fire Department. The corps colors were black, white and red. The corps was an almost instant parade success and helped the Fire Department, dressed in purple, to win many awards as the 'Best Fire Department with Music' in many Firemen's Field Days events around Upstate New York. In the early to mid '70's the corps was perhaps at it's best with Jim Snow guiding the way. He was the Chief of the Fire Department at the time and at one point all 3 of his sons marched in the horn line. He encouraged the members to find others to join and in 1975 the corps fielded close to 30 horns. Without his leadership and guidance the corps would have never achieved the high status it did. He always made sure the corps was provided for.

The corps occasionally competed in stand-still competitions and at one point in 1975 did an inside show in Canastota New York against the Canastota Saints, their fierce rivals and the all girl Mello Dear corps. Another corps often seen in competition against them was the Grey Ghosts, originally from Wampsville, New York. One big trip per year was scheduled back in the mid '70's with parades in Rochester and trips to Pennsylvania.

Other competition in the area at the time were the Bridgeport Pirates and in the late '70's the Verona Eagles were forming. Eventually, the Floyd Fire Department formed a corps and with the Eagles growing larger, membership waned. Around 1980 the Fire Department decided it wouldn't be marching a corps any more as most members that had traveled in the past to march with the corps lost interest or joined closer corps to their homes, including the Eagles as they were starting to form a field corps.

Signature songs for the corps in the early to mid 1970's were: Granada, Paint Your Wagon and Blue Skies.

Contributed by

Gary Stoodley
(Jan 3, 2006)

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