Local Youth Group Wins 41st National Championship

The Daley Debutantes Baton and Drum Corps recently won its 41st National Championship for Parade Corps with Live Music at America's Youth On Parade at the University of Notre Dame.

Members of the group participated in many events at the annual competition, which brings thousands of young people together to compete every July in South Bend, Ind. The group won the Music Section National Championship for the seventh consecutive year. Three of the Daley Debutantes's twirling teams finished in the top five nationally.

Sherry Daley Jung, who lives in Wauwatosa, directs the corps with her sisters Marcy Daley Blaufuss, and Patti Daley Wertschnig. All three are members of the Baton Twirling Hall of Fame. Jung founded the corps in 1955. Blaufuss's son Eric is an assistant corps director.

The Daley Debutantes have over 100 members from 22 communities in five Southeastern counties. Several corps captains are from Wauwatosa, including: corps captain Emily Condon, music captain Brian Condon and junior assistant captains Elizabeth Organ and Lizzy Ament.

The Daley Debutantes perform in 18 local parades each year. The corps won its 56th state championship this summer. The group has won many “Best On Parade” or “Top Specialty Unit” awards in local parades and even the Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade.

The corps has represented the United States in Dublin, Ireland for its St. Patrick’s Day Parade twice. Members have also performed at halftime shows for the Sugar Bowl, Gator Bowl, Hall of Fame Bowl, Kick-Off Classic, and Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. The group briefly appeared in the parade chase scene in the Hollywood blockbuster “The Fugitive.”

Upcoming parades include Wisconsin State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 4; Irish Fest on Friday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 18; and St. Francis Days on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Contact Director Sherry Daley Jung at 414-476-9659 for information about joining the corps.