On a holiday weekend that has become synonymous with the latest deals, discounts and shop-til-you-drop spend-a-thons, a number of Drum Corps International organizations are aiming to keep things in perspective by getting involved with the 2014 #GivingTuesday campaign.
On December 2, coinciding with Thanksgiving and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday is a national movement established to inspire people to take action in supporting nonprofit and charity organizations in their communities.
"#GivingTuesday is a counter narrative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday because it reminds us that the spirit of the holiday giving season should be about community and not just consumerism," says Kathy Calvin, CEO of the United Nations Foundation. "The most meaningful gift we can give our children, loved ones, friends and neighbors is the commitment to work together to help build a better world."
Financial contributions are a big part of #GivingTuesday, and the Mandarins organization will use the day as a springboard to kick off its year-end fundraising campaign. With a goal of $10,000, Fundraising Chair Kathleen Bakergumprecht-Davies said that the corps will put donations from December 2 toward its final payment on a new set of instruments purchased in 2014.
For those who may be less capable of making a financial contribution, Santa Clara Vanguard Development and Alumni Relations Manager Rosalind Achkar says that #GivingTuesday will additionally provide her organization with a platform to raise general awareness about Vanguard programs and to engage and call its alumni and supporters into action.
"#GivingTuesday is just as importantly about giving back to Vanguard through volunteering, sponsoring a meal or helping to promote our efforts through your own social media network," Achkar said. "Whether sharing your time, your passion for drum corps with others, or with donations, #GivingTuesday gives us the opportunity to continue providing once in a lifetime experiences for our members."
Keep an eye out for these drum corps who indicated at press time that they will be participating in #GivingTuesday on December 2:
Jersey Surf: "There's no doubt that we appreciate tax-deductible donations as we begin to embark on our 25th anniversary season, but we also greatly appreciate the in-kind assistance and volunteer hours garnered through this outreach as well," Jersey Surf Executive Director Bob Jacobs said. "#GivingTuesday will help kick off our year-end fundraising campaign, and we're asking our alumni, family members and friends to don their Jersey Surf apparel to post #unselfie photos on social media accounts, creating additional awareness of the corps at the start of our #JS25 anniversary campaign drive."Website | Facebook | Twitter
Santa Clara Vanguard: "We will be reaching out to our alumni and fans to educate them about #GivingTuesday and how they can participate through their own social media platforms and share the message with their friends and family," Vanguard Development and Alumni Relations Manager Rosalind Achkar said. "We anticipate using the #unselfie and #santaclaravanguard hashtags along with "unselfie" pictures to promote Vanguard. It should be a lot of fun to see the kinds of photos and offers of help our friends, family and alumni come up with."
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Bluecoats: "On #GivingTuesday, we'll be doing a social media campaign to garner support and collecting donations through our website," Bluecoats Executive Director David Glasgow said.
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Mandarins: "Giving to the Mandarins isn't limited to monetary donations only," Mandarins Fundraising Chair Kathleen Bakergumprecht-Davies said. "Anyone interested in continuing our program of celebrating youth in transforming lives can donate in other ways as well ranging from giving a car or boat, donating electronic waste, or using Amazon Smile and selecting "Mandarins of Sacramento" as their designated charity. They can also purchase our merchandise from our online shop or at our souvenir booth during competitions."
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Legends: "On #GivingTuesday we are launching our '10th Season Anniversary Campaign,'" Legends Executive Director Ibe Sodawalla said. "As part of this campaign, there are a number of projects we aim to accomplish including purchasing additional instruments and uniforms, replacing battery percussion instruments, making improvements to our food and equipment trailers, and developing an educational series to give students opportunities to engage in clinics and leadership development."
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Learn more at GivingTuesday.org.