Recently, FCGers and leadership have been busy working together to help champion causes that are important to our employees.
During September and October, FCG was able to help raise funds for the FSHD Society’s Walk and Roll and Annual Platoon 22 Golf Tournament through sponsorship.
FSHD Society’s Walk and Roll
Bobby K. came to FCG earlier this year and asked if it would be possible to assist with a cause that is near and dear to him personally. His request was to help sponsor the FSHD Society’s Annual Walk & Roll on September 12th, an annual event held “to support programs and funding research that will directly impact patients and their families living with FSH Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD).
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, or FSHD, is a genetic disorder that leads to the weakening of skeletal muscles. It affects an estimated 1 in 8,000 individuals, or 870,000 people worldwide. Around 20 percent will need a wheelchair by age 50. Over 70 percent experience debilitating pain and fatigue. There is no effective treatment or cure, but there is hope.”
Since Bobby was taking the role of Mid-Atlantic Walk & Roll Leader, it was his task to organize our local Walk & Roll. This year has been a challenge for everyone, including events hosted by non-profits such as FSHD Society that assist with funding, so we asked Bobby why was he motivated to work with this group and what his experience has been like organizing the walk:
“My mother, uncle and grandmother all have/had this disease. This was my first event with FSHD. I went to a chapter meeting last November and volunteered to organize the Walk & Roll.
At first, the biggest issue faced was finding a place to host the event. From last December through March, I was visiting and trying to book locations. This proved to be harder than I thought it would be. I needed the location to be mostly flat, paved, to have a loop and a place to gather. One venue I found I thought was perfect, but they didn’t want to rent the space to us because of baseball.
However, that all became unimportant as COVID hit mid-March. The FSHD Society decided to pivot to a virtual, national event. I was asked by the chapter leaders if I wanted to continue planning the event. I said absolutely. From there, the event was smooth sailing as the national virtual structure took care of most everything. We met weekly online to track progress and brainstorm ideas. My responsibilities were reduced to sponsor and member recruitment as well as distributing materials prior to the event.
I was proud to have Freedom be a sponsor and more members decided to participate than I thought would. The day of the event, the FSHD Society broadcast a Facebook Live stream and interviewed Walk & Roll leaders and members throughout the country. It was heartwarming to see and connect with all the lovely people who are fighting this disease. We ended up raising $11,256 as a chapter and $520,000 nationally. It felt really great to play a part in this.”
Annual Platoon 22 Golf Tournament
On October 5th, FCG sponsored a foursome group for participation in the 5th Annual Platoon 22 golf tournament, held this year in Ijamsville, MD (near Frederick, MD). Hosted by Platoon 22, this event raises funds for veteran services, suicide awareness, and community engagement, including helping to support the operation of the new Platoon Veterans Services Center at Goodwill located in Frederick, MD.
Our foursome team of employees included Dave P., Paul B., Jason M. and Wayne W.; Dave P. has a personal connection with the cause and founding of the organization that he shared:
“A close friend of mine took his life in 2014. He was a veteran who served with me and someone I admired for accomplishing so much in his life and military career. I never got an indication that he was struggling with thoughts of suicide. So the news of his passing devastated not only me, but our entire circle of peers.
A mutual friend got involved with Platoon 22 shortly after his passing. He assisted with forming the golf tournament as a way to raise money for veteran services and suicide awareness.
FCG’s sponsorship for this year’s tournament helped the foundation raise the most money ever in the tournament’s short history. This is significant because of the uncertainty that the tournament would even be held due to the pandemic.
The money raised from the golf tournament over the last five years has enabled Platoon 22 to construct a veterans services center in Frederick, MD.”