On September 30th, 2019, the Marching Virginians began our campaign to raise $10,000 for Parkinson’s research through the Michael J. Fox foundation. Just four days later, on October 4th, we met and then exceeded this goal. As of October 18th, we have raised $13,747.
In the past, the MVs have raised money for causes like ALS and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, but Marchin’ for Parkinson’s has been our most successful fundraiser yet. With a new goal of $15,000, the initiative runs until Virginia Tech’s Homecoming, which falls on Saturday, October 19th.
But the question remains: why Parkinson’s?
Ashlyn, who is spearheading Marchin’ for Parkinson’s; Source: Brendan Little
The fundraiser is spearheaded by Ashlyn McDonald, one of two drum majors for the 2019 MVs. When asked why she decided on Parkinson’s disease to raise funds for, she responded that she had a family member diagnosed with Parkinson’s recently. After researching the disease and seeing how many people it affected (noting that there isn’t a cure and that not much is known about the causes), she “thought this would be a cool way for us to [help out] because the band always fundraises really well.” After a little research about the disease, whose symptoms vary widely but can include anything from tremors to amnesia, Ashlyn discovered the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Within days, she had set up a page for the Marching Virginians to fundraise.
Whiteboards are also posted in the MVC to help keep track of the top section(s) and top individual fundraisers; Source: Emery Poulsen
To keep the MVs motivated to fundraise, Ashlyn had the idea to turn fundraising into a (friendly) competition. With competitions ongoing for top individual fundraiser, top section (i.e. highest average per person), and section with the highest participation, it’s easy to get excited about raising money for a good cause!
Prizes for winning the friendly competitions are mostly food-based and include desserts like doughnuts and real pumpkin pies for the most successful fundraisers.
Ashlyn isn’t the only member of the MVs with a personal connection to Parkinson’s. A few other MVs from a variety of backgrounds spoke out about the ways in which Parkinson’s has affected countless lives around them.
Niki Kreynus, one of the rank captains in the Net section, shared that her father was diagnosed around six years ago, saying that
“it’s been a hard thing to witness someone I care about go through this knowing there is no cure, but it’s uplifting to see such a huge effort being put in by the MVs to raise money, support, and awareness!”
-Niki Kreynus
Two other members of the band, Akul Mehra and Caleb Himes, have expressed how meaningful this fundraiser is to both MVs and people outside of the band, expressing feelings of hope and gratitude brought on by the enthusiasm displayed for this cause.
Another MV, who chose to remain anonymous, discussed a much lesser-known symptom of Parkinson’s: depression. He shared the impact that Parkinson’s had on his entire family, as well as how his grandfather was personally affected by the depression that Parkinson’s can bring with it. Marchin’ for Parkinson’s is important because it helps to start a conversation about things that can be hard to talk about. Just as important as raising money, raising awareness about the wide variety of symptoms that individuals can experience is another goal of our initiative.
The $10,000 Pumpkin Pie posted in the MVC! Source: Emery Poulsen
Though the MVs are an incredibly diverse group of people, it’s amazing what we can achieve when we are all working toward a common goal. Already, we have raised thousands of dollars toward research that will hopefully save lives in the future. As a friendly reminder, our overall goal is to raise $25,000. If we reach that goal, Polly and Chad have agreed to let the band dye their hair! So whatever your reason for fundraising may be, from family involvement to pumpkin pie to purple hair, don’t lose momentum now! #M4P #UtProsim
To contribute to Marchin’ for Parkinson’s, you may make a donation to the Marching Virginians fundraising page.