Lake Erie Drum and Bugle Corps

Lake Erie Drum and Bugle Corps (also referred to as Lake Erie Majorette, Drum and Bugle Corps) was a community corps based out of Sandusky, Ohio during the late 1960's, 70's, 80's, and early 90's.
The corps competed locally and internationally. Lake Erie Drum and Bugle Corps' Drill Team Division was named a Class A World Champion by the World Twirling Association sometime during the corps' height in the 1970's. Headed by musical director, Douglas Thompson, and visual director, Helen Thompson, the group was created as an outlet for urban inner-city youth during the period of The Civil Rights Movement. The Thompsons' daughter, Marian, served as one of the corps' drum majorettes and twirlers, and went on to later become a feature twirler at Ashland College.
The corps folded in the early 1990s partially due to Helen Thompsons' death and Douglas Thompsons' progressing battle with cancer. Following the fold, Marian continued to instruct and judge majorettes/twirlers in Sandusky, Ohio and the surrounding areas. The Thompsons were awarded a Community Service Award by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission in 2007 for their work with Lake Erie Drum and Bugle Corps and its youth. Marian's son, John Douglas Ralph, now serves as percussion director of Ocoee High School bands in Orlando Florida, drum major caption head of Marching Auxiliaries, and current member of Florida's Sun Devils Drum Corps.

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