Colt Cadets Move-Ins & Car Wash Information

June 7, 2023

Colts Move In 2023

The 2023 season is almost here! Be sure you are up-to-date on all details for Move Ins and Car Wash. RSVP one last time before the start of summer to be sure we have all of your travel plans and arrival details. Make sure you (and your parents!) have signed up for our email list. Important information will be sent out throughout the summer via our email list.

REGISTRATION

Parents and students will begin the check-in process at Washington Middle School beginning at 6:30 PM on Friday, June 9. Click here for a Google Map of the facility. We will register and unload equipment followed by a brief full corps meeting. After the meeting, we will split into sectionals and then have a light snack with lights out at 11:00 PM Students will sleep in the gym, and parents are welcome to stay at the school in the volunteer room(s).

If you must arrive earlier than 6:30 p.m. on Friday, you can be dropped off at the Colts corps hall and we will shuttle students to Washington shortly after 6:00 p.m. The address for the corps hall is 2300 Twin Valley Dr., Dubuque, IA 52003.

If you are unable to be dropped off on Friday night, Colt Cadets can also be dropped off directly at their car wash location on Saturday morning and we will get you checked in for summer following the car wash on Saturday afternoon. A list of assignments will be emailed prior to the weekend.

COLTS CAR WASH DETAILS

Wake up at Washington Middle School will be at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 10. Those staying at the school will eat breakfast and pack a sack lunch for the day. Members will be provided transportation by Colts vehicles to their car wash sites to arrive by 9:30 AM The car wash is from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Students arriving on Saturday should bring their own sack lunch, and students should stagger their 30-minute lunch breaks in the middle of the day. It is very important to wear sunscreen, especially on your feet! Also, be sure to drink lots of water to hydrate for the rehearsal days ahead.

After 4:00 PM, Colt Cadets students will be picked up and returned to Washington Middle School in the same way they were dropped off. If you need special arrangements or help with this, contact Cameron Kotovsky. After arriving back at Washington, we will split into sectionals and Meal 3 will be provided at 5:30 PM We will then head to Dubuque Senior High School where we will use their shower facilities. After we return from Dalzell Field, we will have sectionals, followed by a full corps meeting, and then Meal 4 with lights out at 11:00 PM.

We will then have a full regular day of rehearsal blocks scheduled on Sunday, June 11, followed by another trip to Dalzell Field for showers before departing for our first Spring Training location — Perry Middle/High School in Perry, Iowa. A full itinerary of the first part of the Colt Cadets tour will be posted on the Colt Cadets Tour page.

Spring Training Airline Plans

On June 9, flights will be treated like a normal camp day. We provide ground transportation into surrounding airports (Moline, Madison, Rockford, or Cedar Rapids) but you MUST communicate your flight plans on your RSVP. MLI (Moline) and CID (Cedar Rapids) are closest to Dubuque and reasonable in fare. ORD (O'Hare) travel MUST land prior to 1:30 PM Midway (MDW) travel MUST land prior to 12:30 PM If you must fly into Chicago (ORD or MDW), email cameron@colts.org prior to booking flights so we can determine how to provide ground transportation.

On any other day of move-ins, if you plan on flying, you must communicate with Cameron prior to booking a flight. We will work with you to ensure your flight plans work well with the corps travel plans.

Students with school still in session during move-ins are asked to attend evening and weekend portions of rehearsal, if they are within a reasonable distance of our housing site, so they don't fall behind. Attendance and communication are critical.

AUGUST AIRLINE PLANS

For those who will be flying home after the season, you should purchase a plane ticket home no earlier than 6:00 PM on Saturday, August 12, from the Indianapolis Airport (IND). We will run a bus from the stadium to the Indianapolis Airport before Finals late Saturday evening.

SUMMER TOUR PAPERWORK

A reminder that the following paperwork must be turned in prior to you moving in with the corps. You can bring the paperwork with you when you move in or email it ahead of time to cameron@colts.org.

Car Wash \ June 10, 2023

This is a critical project for us, and the only fundraiser for which we expect everyone's participation. We ask that you collect pledges or donations with a total potential value of $150. Please make sure your pledge sheet is legible! Turn in your pledge sheet and any money collected when you check in at Washington Middle School. You can also give your pledge sheet to your site supervisor if you move in directly to your car wash site.

As in all facets of membership, we need people who are committed to the success of the Colts. When everyone does their share, we can make more than $50,000 in our one-day event! It's important to all of us, and it beats having to sell cookie dough, magazines, candy, pizzas, and whatever else. Our one and only fundraiser for members does the same thing as many small ones. The money raised from this project helps with tour expenses, especially food and fuel.

As a guideline, set a goal of an average value of $10 per pledge or donation (15 pledges of $10 each gets you to your goal). If someone asks the value of a penny per car, the typical pledge will end up being around $5.00. If we wash 500 cars at approximately 12 locations, that amounts to $5.00 per penny pledge. Some pledges will be more, some less. Remember, although you may collect money in advance, you are not required to. You do not need to collect pledges. After the car wash, we will mail letters from the office to the commitments you received. We collect these payments through the office by mail or online. We prefer to not bill for anything less than $5.00. Please keep in mind the total goal to raise $150 personally. Twenty donations of a dollar each is not satisfactory.

DCI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HOTEL & TICKETS

Finals Week is August 10th-12th in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are still great seats and great rooms available for the best week of the summer!

The Colt Cadets have Open Class prelims and finals in Marion, Indiana, on Monday and Tuesday and will also be performing in prelims on Thursday in Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets should be purchased directly from DCI.

Hotel accommodations are available at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Indianapolis. A link to the hotel block can be found on our website. Reservations must be made by June 21st. Any unsold rooms will be released to the public at that time.

PARENT INFORMATION FOR SUMMER

Make sure you've signed up for our email distribution list. We will use this to communicate regularly throughout the summer. Be sure you have also joined the Colt Cadets Parents Facebook Group for updates and photos.

We still have spots open on the volunteer calendar for the summer! Please check your schedules and let us know if/when you can help. Even just a few days during Spring Training or summer tour would be incredibly helpful! You can view our Volunteer Calendar here. Remember, we can be very creative in getting you in and out of tour. Cooks, Van Drivers, and/or Those Who Sew, email Cameron Kotovsky. Other Tour Drivers, email colts@colts.org.

Need help with travel? We are here to guide you! You can email volunteers@colts.org with any questions you may have. Even one day with us helps! Come as early as you can to give us a hand (and bring fresh fruits or vegetables!).

COLT CADETS WISH LIST FOR IN-KIND DONATIONS

For our full wish list, click here!

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