By 1960, The Cavaliers were a national powerhouse in the drum corps activity, but the corps' existence was not easy. Money was short, and the American Legion Kosciusko Post and the Chicago's Own VFW Post tried to meet the corps' financial needs, but the temporary banning of bingo and other, similar fundraisers by the State of Illinois was an almost crippling blow. The corps members took a part of the fund-raising on themselves, sponsoring a "Family Fun Night", complete with clowns, games, food at the "Cavalier Cafe", and a chance to hit Don Warren in the face with a whipped cream pie; for an investment of only $39, they raised $1000. The corps' high level of competition also made recruitment difficult. During the 1960 season, the Cavaliers maintained their status as a national power, even though they won no national titles.