Sharing the Spirit

The Marching Virginians are proud of the fine work they accomplish both on and off the field. Whether collecting canned goods for the Montgomery County Christmas Store, being lead by TV host Ty Pennington for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, or giving up their Thanksgiving vacation to rush to the aid of Hurricane Katrina victims, the Marching Virginians are truly The Spirit of Tech.

Hokies for the Hungry

Each year, the Marching Virginians sponsor a massive food drive for the Montgomery County Christmas Store. The Christmas Store collects food, clothing, and toys for low-income citizens to buy at Christmas time on a point system.

The Marching Virginians split up into eight pep bands that travel through the tailgaiting lots, performing and collecting canned food and monetary donations from fans before a home game. Each year, thousands of canned food items and thousands of dollars are raised.

This fundraising project with humble beginnings has grown into a huge event. Each year a celebrity spokesman is selected (Frank Beamer or a star football player in recent years) and an announcement for Hokies for the Hungry is even printed on VT football tickets.

The goal in recent years has been "One Can From Every Fan" - That's 65,000 cans!

Craig County - Home of the Rockets

In the fall of 2005, a special request for a performance came from a small high school in Southwest Virginia. Since then, the MVs have sent a pep band to Craig County High School in New Castle, Virginia, for one home football game each year.

Craig County is one of the smallest schools in Virginia, and does not currently have their own band program. The Marching Virginians add energy and enthusiasm, and the local community comes out to support the team and band alike!

The Rockets and MVs are currently 3-0 together!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 2005

In November, the popular ABC television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition selected Blacksburg resident Carol Crawford-Smith and her two sons, Hunter and Garland, for an extreme makeover. The Blacksburg and Virginia Tech community – including The Marching Virginians – immediately joined forces to help.

Carol Crawford-Smith, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, is a dance instructor whose cheerful spirit has helped her overcome countless obstacles in her life. As her health had deteriorated over the past several years, one of the greatest obstacles in her life had become her house. Filled with small steps throughout, a simple trip from the bedroom to the kitchen had become a long and painful journey. Just as difficult, the trip to her second-floor Center for Dance studio posed an even greater challenge, taking almost forty-five minutes to accomplish the twenty-two steps. It was clear that this mother and dance instructor needed the help of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

On the morning of demolition, The Marching Virginians rose to the challenge in their own unique way. Led by TV host Ty Pennington, The Spirit of Tech paraded hundreds of maroon and orange clad students and demolition workers to the building site. Even though band members had just returned from the ACC football championship game in Jacksonville , their energy and enthusiasm overcame the freezing temperatures and newly fallen snow that morning. As the MVs danced The Hokie Pokie on the front lawn, their pride swelled as band members knew they were doing something great in the community.

The producers of Extreme Makeover said that the Crawford-Smith house involved the most volunteers the show had ever seen. With over 4,000 volunteers, Extreme Makeover created a house for the Smith family that accommodated Carol’s illness. They also altered her studio so that she could continue to teach and share her love of dance with her students.

The Marching Virginians were glad to be part of this amazing project that was yet one more example of Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim.

MVs Help Rebuild New Orleans - 2005

As told by Dave McKee

Over Thanksgiving Break, thirty-five members of the MVs joined forces with the YMCA of Virginia Tech, heading to New Orleans to assist with hurricane relief efforts. Emily Jones, a junior architecture major and mellophone rank captain, spearheaded the effort to assist in continuing clean-up efforts in the devastated city. Actually, Emily poked her finger into Dave's chest in the early days following Katrina and pointedly asked "What are WE going to do about this?" So much for "being in charge."

After downing a pre-dawn breakfast at Famous Anthony's Restaurant, the Abbott bus headed to Louisiana. As we entered the suburbs of New Orleans, an eerie quiet took over the bus. It was amazing to see the vast darkness throughout the area - especially in stark contrast to the lights of downtown New Orleans on the horizon. The football victory in Charlottesville seemed light-years away.

As we pulled into Gretna United Methodist Church, we were greeted by a group of students from Louisiana Tech who had been working in the area during the previous week. Their joy in seeing fresh faces and smiles was genuine and reassuring. For our group to quickly comprehend that they could endure the coming week was helpful. Nonetheless, given the spartan mattresses, cramped facilities, and the lingering humidity in the air, folks slept fitfully that first night. We were happy to have running water, showers, and electricity.

When we awoke on Monday, the group enjoyed a breakfast of granola bars, oatmeal, and fruit as they prepared their lunches for the day - peanut butter, fruit, snacks, Mountain Dew Black, and whatever else we had transported from Blacksburg. It is amazing how much peanut butter fifty college students can consume in one week!

As we traveled into the city that morning, we realized that we were indeed entering a different world - no electricity, no stores, water damage beyond imagination, and - unbelievably - virtually no people. Block after block, we drove deeper into neighborhoods where the height of the water was evidenced not only on the walls of the houses, but in the mangled remains of cars - cars in front yards, cars in backyards, cars on top of cars.

When we arrived at our first house, the first group of eighteen students disembarked and was met by the homeowner, a little lady who arrived on site just minutes before us. Amidst the devastation, one couldn't imagine the sight of an Abbott bus coming down the street with a load of college students to help! As we left the first group, we wondered what out other two houses would look like.

We left group #2 at their site, then drove into an upscale neighborhood where our group was to work. While our house was attractive on the outside, it mirrored the other houses once we opened the door and smelled the unimaginable odor of mold, mildew, and everything else that had been in that water until it finally receded. I never thought I could say it, but "fecal matter" is now in my vocabulary!

The group worked on other houses with other homeowners on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday - Thanksgiving Day - was a "media event" that quickly turned into a sham. We politely took our leave and returned to our home church. We enjoyed Thanksgiving lunch with the members of another church on the West Bank where the expressions of appreciation and gratitude were beyond imagination. The smiles on the faces of our students said it all!

These students were simply amazing. They worked hard every day. Kids who I never imagined could do something like this were courageous beyond measure. I tried to keep up with the young whipper-snappers. Ultimately, they challenged me beyond my imagination. Deservedly, they are my heroes!

It was an experience that had nothing to do with band and music. It had everything to do with young people standing up and DOING SOMETHING to make a difference. It was one of the proudest weeks I've ever experienced.