On July 18, during the 2024 Pride Bands Alliance conference in Columbus, Ohio, JSEF presented the first ever EXCELLENCE AWARD to South Florida Pride Bands, Inc. This award was based on their amazing accomplishments from 2023. The award consisted of a glass trophy, a certificate, and a check for $2,500 and was presented to Band President Dr. Adam DeRosa and two bandmates by JSEF Board members Doug Litwin, Dencil White, Kathy Hennig, and Harvey Zuckman.
The EXCELLENCE AWARD will be given annually by JSEF to the investing organization who submits the most impressive list of accomplishments. Speaking of accomplishments, here are just some of the ones from South Florida Pride Bands:
- February 2023 Pride Youth Band concert featured 5 local high school band directors.
- The “Night at the Pops” concert in May 2023 which had been canceled in May 2020 due to COVID.
- November 2023 “And The Award Goes To…” concert celebrating award shows and award-winning songs.
- Continued work with the ground-breaking Pride Youth Band, now in their 14th anniversary season. This included the awarding of $12,500 in scholarships and prizes to the youth.
- The premiere of River of Grass, by Robert Sheldon, a piece commissioned by our organization to commemorate the 10th anniversary of our Pride Youth Band. Funding for this commission came from JSEF.
- Two other commissioned works for the 2024 Pride Youth Band program: Las Olas by Chandler Wilson and Proud of Me by Michele.
- South Florida Pride Bands received over $80,000 in grant money for their 2023 programs.
- May 2023 concert performed at the Association of Concert Bands Conference in Orlando and received great feedback.
- After hosting the Pride Bands Alliance Conference in 2019 in Orlando with the Orlando and Tampa Pride Bands, the South Florida Pride Band will host the Pride Bands conference in Fort Lauderdale October 22- 27, 2025. The theme is “Something Wicked” and registration is now open HERE.
You can read more about these amazing accomplishments from all the Bands that submitted their forms to JSEF by clicking HERE.
Upon accepting the first-ever EXCELLENCE AWARD, band President Dr. Adam DeRosa said “On behalf of the South Florida Pride Bands organization, I would like to express immense gratitude to you and the others on the Jon Sims Endowment Fund for the Performing Arts board for the generous grant towards the 2025 Pride Bands Alliance conference commission pieces and for recognizing our band for the inaugural Jon Sims Excellence Award. This financial support helps to close the gap in funding we are experiencing from the grant dollars slashed by the state of Florida for 2024-2025. We look forward to keeping you all posted on the development and creation of the new pieces to debut in October 2025. Again, thanks for your generosity.”
