In response to the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech, senior Scott Brown and the Student Assembly have teamed up to sell “We Remember” bracelets to raise money for Virginia Tech’s Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.
p. The 2,500 maroon and 2,500 orange bracelets will feature the College’s and Virginia Tech’s logos and the words “We Remember.” On the other side of the bracelet will be the date of the shooting, 4/16/07.
p. Brown, who also planned the College’s five-year memorial in honor of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, came up with the idea as a way for students to show solidarity with Tech. He contacted SA president and vice president Zach Pilchen and Valerie Hopkins, both sophomores, asking for their support.
p. “We wanted to address in the long term what we could do for Tech,” Hopkins said. “Coming together as a community to grieve was an important way to deal with the tragedy. Now, we have to reach out to their community.”
p. The SA senate passed the “We Are All Hokies” bill, which allocated money to pay for 5,000 bracelets. A second bill was also introduced in the senate by Sens. James Evans, a senior, and Ryan Eickel, a freshman, to express the College’s condolences to Virginia Tech.
p. “By purchasing the bracelets, it’s a small way that we, as a community, can convey a tremendous message to the Tech community that we are united,” Brown said.
p. The bracelets will arrive on campus today and students will be able to purchase them for a minimum donation of $2 beginning at the King and Queen Ball and, pending approval, the My Chemical Romance concert Saturday. The bracelets will be on sale next week at the University Center and outside Swem Library.
p. All of the proceeds from the sale of the bracelets will go to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. According to the Fund’s website, the collection uses donated money to pay for “assistance to victims and their families, grief counseling, memorials, communication expenses and comfort expenses.”
