Military band to play in Beaver Township Thursday

NORTH LIMA — The Beaver Township Park Board is presenting a performance by the Air National Guard Band of the Great Lakes at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Woodworth Park. The park is on Luther Avenue, off Eastern Reserve Road between Market Street and Southern Blvd. Admission is free. Because seating is limited, attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs. The concert will be moved to the South Range High School auditorium if it rains.

“This is a great opportunity for our local residents to experience a performance by the Air National Guard Band,” said Scott Conway, Beaver Township park administrator. “The band is known to put on a terrific show and I think it’s something everyone will really enjoy.”

The Air National Guard Band of the Great Lakes, formerly known as the “Triple Nickel,” dates back to the 1920s. The band was originally known as the 148th Infantry Band. However, when the Air Force became a separate service 1948, members of the “Old 148th” sought permission to organize an Air Force Band in Toledo. On June 30, 1948 the 555th Air Force Band, Ohio Air National Guard, was born.

The band supports the 180th Fighter Wing at Toledo Express Airport in Swanton, Ohio, and meets one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer to train, rehearse, and perform. The band’s mission is to establish and maintain favorable relations within the community, augment local recruiting efforts and provide appropriate music for civilian and military functions in its assigned area of operations. The band performs in several configurations, including a marching band, concert band, stage band, and rock band. Small brass, percussion, and woodwind groups are also regularly featured. The combined bands play for over 300,000 people annually throughout the Great Lakes area including Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia. The band has also traveled to and performed tours in Germany, Hungary, Spain, Panama and England. More information about Thursday’s concert is available by calling the park board at (330) 549-9552.