Bob Montooth Spirit Award
The Bob Montooth Spirit Award seeks to honor a DWFB member who demonstrates the spirit, dedication, and enthusiasm of a long standing past member and Board Member of the organization.  The award is presented each year at the Band's Spring Concert.
Bob Montooth’s life was dedicated to making music and enriching the lives of others. While at Columbus Grove High School he developed a district, state and national award winning marching band program that became the pride of Columbus Grove. He also helped direct the school musicals. Besides teaching music at Columbus Grove, he was an assistant director of General Putnam's Men Drum and Bugle Corps, was active in community theaters in Lima, Columbus and Palm Springs, and helped start the LGBT band "Capitol Pride" in Columbus, Ohio.  He loved being a tour guide for bands, choirs and orchestras around the globe for New Horizons Tour and Travel and Bob Rogers Travel and helped breathe new life into the Desert Winds Freedom Band in Palm Springs, California as a board member for 11 years. He lived his life to the fullest right up to the end.
The spirit, motivation, and enthusiasm of Bob Montooth remain alive and well within the Desert Winds Freedom Band community. We seek to honor this legacy annually with this award named in his honor, to an individual who strives above and beyond for musical excellence, camaraderie, and commitment to our community.  Nominees for the Bob Montooth Spirit Award will come directly from the membership of Desert Winds Freedom Band.

​Bob Montooth Spirit Award Recipients

Gary Bollard/Alto Sax
2024
​Jim Boyer/Tuba
2023 
​Bryon Wirth-Librarian/Trumpet
2022
Jake Frick - Webmaster/Oboe
2021
Steve Rocha - Librarian/Clarinet
​ 2019
The Parrott Family - Dave, Tamiann, Nathan, and Jonathan
Trumpet/Flute/Percussion