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Robert Briggs 1927 - 2008
Robert ("Bob") Briggs was the long-time director of the University of California (Berkeley) Marching Band, and the Founding Director of the Solano Winds Community Concert Band. Bob established this fund with the original purpose of supporting students interested in pursuing teaching or performing careers in instrumental music. In keeping with Bob's wishes of making charitable grants to help the community, the purpose of this fund was changed to support the Solano Winds Community Concert Band, a local nonprofit which Bob was very passionate about, as the sole grantee.
Robert Briggs spent most of his 80 years breathing life into instruments. In the Fall of 1994, as Bob Briggs was leading the California Marching Band through his last season before his retirement, it was suggested to him that he could fill his time in retirement by starting up a community band to conduct in Fairfield.
In the summer of 1995, a group of musicians gathered to discuss the possibility of putting together such a group, and two months later, 40 band musicians gathered at Fairfield High School for the first rehearsal of the Solano Winds.
“Finally, someone listened, and understood what I wanted to accomplish. The Solano Community Foundation set up the endowment fund I had envisioned. I trust their management of the money and the administration of the details. I look forward to increasing this endowment both for my own charitable grants now and after I’m gone, and to help the Foundation grow stronger and make a greater difference here.” - Robert O. Briggs