SKY RYDERS PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION
Sky Ryders Performing Arts Foundation (SRPAF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Craig Coldren as Corps Administrator. A Hutchinson native and Sky Ryders alumnus, Coldren has been a key part of the corps' revival since 2023. He brings a lifetime of connection to the organization and decades of professional experience to the role.
Craig became a Sky Ryders member in 1974 and marched through the 1980 season. Over those years he played nearly every instrument in the percussion section: cymbals, bass drum, marching timpani and tenors, and he finished his age-out year on the snare line. His final season also earned him an unusual distinction. An injury kept him from marching at the 1980 DCI Prelims, so Craig was put in charge of the doves released from behind the rainbow prop during the Sky Ryders "Over the Rainbow" finale. He may be the only person in DCI history to manage live animals on the competition field, which DCI later banned.
After volunteering on the corps staff, Craig moved to Austin, Texas, in 1981. He went on to a 35-year career with FedEx, retiring in 2017. Since then he has kept drumming and restores vintage marching snare drums.
"Craig has been there both then and now, and he has seen firsthand what the Sky Ryders mean to the young people who march with us today," said Dale Antoine, Sky Ryders CEO. "His dedication, his experience, and his love for this organization make him the right person to keep the corps running smoothly as we keep growing."
Craig joined the Sky Ryders revival effort in 2023. He has called watching the growth of the corps' members over the past three seasons one of the greatest pleasures of his life.
"I first watched the Sky Ryders as a ten-year-old kid, and I've never stopped caring about this corps," said Coldren. "Being part of bringing it back, and watching these young people grow, has meant more to me than I can say. Some dreams never die."