UF Marching Band competes for ESPN/Paramount $25,000 prize — Online voting begins Sept. 29 on ESPN.com

Filed under Top Stories on Monday, September 29, 2008.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida’s 325-member Gator Marching Band has been selected by ESPN and Paramount Home Entertainment as one of seven top marching bands in the country. In recognition of the honor, Gator Marching Band has been invited to participate in a competition promoting the Oct. 14 DVD release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

Beginning Sept. 29, ESPN.com will show videos of the seven marching bands performing the theme song, “Raider’s March.” The other participating schools include Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Louisiana State University, University of Southern California and Texas.

“ESPN came to ‘The Swamp’ in early September to videotape our marching band as they performed the Indiana Jones theme song with a UF twist,” said Jay Watkins, director of the Gator Marching Band for the past three years. “The UF Cheerleaders, Albert and Alberta also joined in on the filming to make it as ‘Florida’ as we could.”

The band receiving the most online votes during Sept. 29 through Oct. 10 will be announced on the Oct. 11 airing of ESPN’s “College Game Day Built by Home Depot.” The grand prize is a $25,000 donation from Paramount Home Entertainment and Lucas Films.

“If we are elected the winner by our fans, we would be elated and put the money toward our new instrument campaign,” Watkins said. “Unfortunately, two-thirds of our band members have to use their personal instruments. We have long been in need of a matched set of instruments to improve our sound, appearance and overall performance.”

Students, fans and alumni are encouraged to vote for their favorite band. A prize sweepstakes for online voters includes two tickets to a championship-bowl game of choice, and 25 copies of boxed DVDs, personally signed by the movie’s lead actor, Harrison Ford.

In addition to the Oct. 11 announcement of the grand prize, all participating bands will be featured in the Oct. 6 issue of ESPN The Magazine,”ESPN College Football Live” at 3:30 p.m. from Oct. 6 through Oct. 10 and on ESPN.com.

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Jennifer Valdes, news@arts.ufl.edu, 352-273-1490