Cherrie & Jon Terry

Cherrie and Jon Terry’s induction into the Crossmen Hall of Fame recognizes their extraordinary dedication, generosity, leadership, and service to the corps as parent volunteers, food and uniform leaders, volunteer coordinators, tour supporters, and beloved members of the Crossmen family.

Cherrie and Jon first became involved with the Crossmen in 1997, when their daughter Becky auditioned for the corps. Becky earned a position in the horn line and would later go on to serve as drum major for several years. Like many great Crossmen volunteers, Cherrie and Jon began by simply helping wherever they could. By the following season, their involvement had grown, and the corps quickly came to depend on their energy, skills, and willingness to serve.

In 1999, Jon recognized a need within the organization: the Crossmen needed someone to welcome volunteers, bring them into the corps early in the season, help them feel comfortable, and connect them with meaningful ways to contribute. From that need, Jon’s volunteer coordination role was established. His work helped strengthen the volunteer culture of the Crossmen, making it easier for parents, alumni, and supporters to get involved and feel like part of the family.

Cherrie’s role expanded just as quickly. In 1998, she stepped into the demanding responsibilities of managing both the food truck and uniforms. As food manager for many years, she created recipes, developed procedures, and built systems that would later be passed on to others who followed in her footsteps. Her work helped create consistency, organization, and care in one of the most important parts of corps life: feeding the members.

The depth of Cherrie’s commitment was remarkable. During those years, she often flew back and forth from her job as a nurse to corps housing sites at her own expense, using her time, resources, and energy to support the corps. She was constantly repairing uniforms, making flags, and handling unusual but essential requests, including drum covers, cymbal bags, and judge blockers. Everyone knew that if Cherrie was involved, the job would get done.

Cherrie also had a way of bringing people closer to the corps. She even convinced bus drivers to come watch the Crossmen perform, just as she had once drawn Jon more deeply into the experience. She understood that when people saw the members on the field, they better understood why the work behind the scenes mattered so much.

Both Cherrie and Jon used their vacation time to tour with the Crossmen. Their service required sacrifice, and they gave willingly. One year, as Cherrie was preparing to change jobs, she arranged her schedule so she could spend the entire summer serving as tour administrator before beginning her new position. That kind of commitment speaks to how deeply she believed in the corps and its members.

Even after Becky aged out, Cherrie and Jon continued volunteering for several more years. Their connection to the Crossmen did not end when their daughter’s marching career did. In later years, they continued to support the touring corps, often providing meals and helping members and staff feel cared for while on the road. Whether working endless hours in multiple roles or arranging rides for members after finals, they continued to show up when the Crossmen needed them.

In 2005, their extraordinary service was recognized nationally when Jon and Cherrie were named DCI Volunteers of the Year for the Crossmen. It was a fitting honor for two people whose work helped define what dedicated volunteerism looks like in the drum corps activity.

Cherrie and Jon Terry represent the very best of Crossmen volunteerism. They gave their time, their skills, their vacation days, their personal resources, and their hearts. They helped feed the corps, clothe the corps, organize volunteers, support tour operations, solve problems, welcome families, and strengthen the community around the organization.

For their years of selfless service as parent volunteers, their leadership in food, uniforms, volunteer coordination, and tour support, their continued commitment after their daughter aged out, their recognition as 2005 DCI Volunteers of the Year, and their lasting example of generosity and love for the Crossmen family, we proudly honor Cherrie and Jon Terry as members of the Crossmen Hall of Fame.