Berrien Community Foundation helps local marcher perform in Rose Bowl Parade

 

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- This is now year six of the Rodney Weir Marching Band Scholarship, an honor that is awarded to one Berrien county resident each year that intends to take their career in marching band to the collegiate level.

The scholarship grants $1,000 to the winner for all four years of school at a university of their choosing.

The 2023 award-winner is Sophia Bomar, a Bridgman native who's now a member of the University of Michigan marching band. That group will be performing in the Rose Bowl Parade on Monday in front of a national audience.

It's a full circle moment for the scholarship's creator, Dr. Rodney Weir, who led the same Michigan marching band as a drum major at the Rose Bowl Parade in 1992.

"We're so excited for Sophia and the experience she's going to have. Being able to march in the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl and represent Berrien County and Bridgman and this area...it's just such an amazing and unique experience." said Dr. Weir. 

Dr. Weir hopes that Bomar and future recipients of the scholarship gain valuable experiences from their time in marching band like he did, and that the scholarship helps prove that anyone has the ability to go to a big university like Michigan. 

The 110th annual Rose Bowl Parade is happening on Monday in Pasadena, CA, with the fitting them of "Celebrating the World of Music."

More information on other scholarships offered by the Berrien Community Foundation can be found here.