READING, Pa. — During its committee of the whole meeting Monday night, the Reading City Council heard from the director of the Reading Buccaneers, who said the nonprofit organization is looking to partner with the city to allow the drum and bugle corps to have a rehearsal venue.
Lou Tierno said he wanted to address the council to see if there are any opportunities for the body to assist in identifying potential rehearsal facilities.
The Reading Buccaneers, founded in 1957, has been the recipient of national and world recognitions and championships.
“For some of you that might be less familiar with what a drum corps is, it is a highly disciplined ensemble of brass, percussion, and color guard,” Tierno said. “You can think of it as a combination of the athleticism of the sports team combined with the artistry when orchestra members train and perform at an elite level.”
The organization is currently made up of 131 members who practice every other weekend during the winter months and every weekend beginning in late April.
Tierno said practice weekends involve 12 hours on Saturdays and seven hours on Sundays.
“So, we’ve proudly held the name Reading in our name since 1957, but since 2017, due to some unfortunate circumstance, we’ve been pretty nomadic,” he explained.
Tierno said a longstanding rehearsal site was a field behind the Reading Regional Airport, but the group was forced to relocate in 2017 because the land was sold to the Berks Industrial Development Authority for the purpose of Berks Park 183.
Since that time, Tierno said the group has worked with several school districts in Berks County for rehearsal space.
“We want to come home,” Tierno said. “We’re looking for a partnership with the city of Reading where we can find some ways to work together to help that dream come true.”
Tierno said the group requires an indoor space for the winter months and preferably a football field with artificial turf during the summer months.
“The Buccaneers have always had Reading as part of our identity, and we want to continue to do that,” Tierno added. “We would love to continue to do that here at home. This is why we’re seeking a partnership with Reading to secure facilities we need so we can resolidify our identity as truly being from the Reading community.”
Council President Donna Reed thanked Tierno for attending the meeting to inform the council about the organization and asked the administration to weigh in on the request.
Managing Director Jack Gombach said the administration would like to continue discussions with Tierno.
“I mean, the short answer is we’d love to have you back home,” Gombach said. “The administration is more than happy to be a partner and help facilitating whatever conversations need to happen, whether it’s with the school district or some of our colleges or universities to find some consistent space.”