The photos in this post document some of the ways the Marching Virginians have given service, both recent and long ago. Take some time to learn the impact the band has had and do your part to help others.
For many MVs, the spring semester feels like a coin flip. No daily practices, no weekend games, and not seeing your friends every day is a new and unusual feeling for the members of the band. Yet the MVs are still brought together this semester by a core value: service. One of the most important aspects of the Marching Virginians is our commitment to service. In this blog post, we will detail an upcoming MV Service Project and advertise other projects around campus that MVs can do together!
Starting off is the chief MV Service Project: Blood Drive! On Tuesday April 23, from 11-5, the MVs will be hosting a blood drive in the GLC Multipurpose Room. For this event, there are two ways in which the MVs can help: 1) Sign up to be a volunteer at this event or 2) Donate Blood! As a volunteer at this event, you would help with sign-ins, setting up the room, and any other tasks the mobile Red Cross unit might need. If you plan to donate whole blood (standard blood donation), you are eligible if you have not donated in the previous 8 weeks, in good health, at least 16 years old, and weigh at least 110 lbs. Volunteering in either role, or even both, would be unbelievably helpful. Just recently, the Red Cross reported a 20-year low point for the number of donors and is facing an emergency blood shortage.
Another service activity is The Big Event! The Big Event is an annual day of volunteering around the Blacksburg community as a way for the students of Virginia Tech to thank the town. Individuals come together as a team and are given an assignment in the nearby area. It is tradition within the band for sections, or ranks, to form their own teams. Registration for The Big Event is not open at this time, but you can start thinking about teams to make! More information can be found here: https://vtbigevent.org/ and here: https://engage.vt.edu/programs/bigevent.html.
Outside of these great projects, there are many places to volunteer in the surrounding area. Virginia Tech maintains a list through their VT Engage website. ‘Habitat for Humanity,’ ‘Kids Can Write,’ and ‘Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley’ are just a few of the non-VT programs described. This info can be found at: https://engage.vt.edu/about/opportunities-outside-vt-engage.html.
Though we may not march and play in the spring, the Spirit of Tech is still a presence on campus. Doing our part to help others; to make another person’s day better. These are actions we can always take and are a key part of the band. From Hokies for the Hungry to The Big Event, the MVs value service year-round.