Marching in a drum corps is a dream come true for 1000's of young men and women each year. The music and artistry of our activity draws them from all corners of the globe to be a part of one of the most amazing adventures one can imagine.Imagine, however, a different scenario. A courageous young man of 14, someone whose love of music seems to come before all else, must sit on the sideline and watch. Yet thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and DCI, we are bringing him as close as possible to the real thing this week!The Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Carolina enriches the human experience with hope, strength, and joy by granting the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. Recently, they received a request from a young man who plays the French horn and the trumpet and was formerly a member of his high school band. What makes him different from other teens is that he is now struggling with osteosarcoma, which effects his limb mobility and breathing patterns. His wish: "to see the DCI Championships". His wish is coming true in 2001 as he experiences the excitement of Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals competition.DCI and Make-A-Wish couldn't stop there, however. We needed to bring him even closer to the excitement. At Thursday's Quarterfinals competition, he will follow his favorite corps, The Cadets, from warm-up to the field. He will experience first-hand what goes into the behind-the-scenes preparation -- the fine-tuning of talent and the sharpening of concentration -- as The Cadets take the field in one of their last performances of the season.We don't know what the future holds for this young man but we do know that we have made his wish come true. But by the end of this week, he will realize that he has played a special role in making the marching members' dream come true as well. They are here because they love to perform, and having someone in the audience that has overcome amazing obstacles just to witness the excitement only makes their performances even more meaningful.