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Letter to alumni of the Virginia Pep Band
Dear Virginia Pep Band Alumni,
Do you remember taking the field, wearing your vest, playing your instrument
and building friendships based on fun and frolic? If so, the Pep Band needs
your support now!
The Situation.
As you may have heard, the UVa Athletic Department has recently negotiated a
gift of $1.5 million from Carl W. Smith ('51) to form a marching band at the
University. At the same time, the Athletic Department announced that
Virginia Pep Band would no longer be welcome at any UVa athletic event. This
potential marching band is the culmination of a ten-year effort to
demoralize and eliminate the Pep Band through censorship, lack of support,
and denial of performances.
Is it right that one wealthy alumnus determines what athletic and
performance traditions will be kept at our University?
The Organization.
We are a group of UVa Alumni who feel that the University should preserve
the Pep Band as a proud and unique tradition. We have created a new alumni
group, The Friends of the Virginia Pep Band, to better represent the
interests of current and former members of the band.
The Opportunity.
Friends of the Virginia Pep Band (FOVPB) and the Band's current Director
have a meeting scheduled for August 7th with Gordon Rainey, Rector of the
University's Board of Visitors. We will be discussing ways for the band to
continue to be a part of UVa athletics. We would like to be able to take
with us an impressive list of alumni and community supporters. The more
alumni we represent, the louder our voice will be.
The Band's situation is FAR from hopeless. We have secured strong support
from influential members of the University community. We have received
letters and calls from across the country. The Pep Band can become a
rallying symbol for retaining the University's unique character and stopping
the spread of creeping State-Uism. If a single wealthy alumnus can redefine
what it means to support Virginia Athletics, not only are we no different
from other state schools, we sacrifice the ideal of Student Self Government.
The Task.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Send us a message at friends@orangevest.org saying
that you support the band. Please include your name, address, school and
year graduated (if applicable). Every email makes our position stronger.
Please copy this message to other UVa alumni that might support your band.
We are also beginning a massive fundraising effort to replace the money that
the Band used for travel. The Band is negotiating performances at a number
of venues, including a Redskins halftime, Princeton, Columbia and others. We
need your help to fund the Band's future.
Please send any donation or written correspondence to:
Friends of the Virginia Pep Band, Inc.
P.O. Box 4524
Charlottesville, VA 22905-4524.
Email at friends@orangevest.org. Check out our website at www.orangevest.org
The value of your contribution cannot be underestimated. Every dollar we
raise will be used efficiently, and will be sending a message to the
University.
Building our membership prior to August 7 and demonstrating to Mr. Rainey
widespread support for the Pep Band will be the key to our success. Anything
that you can do to spread the word will make a difference. Email
friends@orangevest.org today. Tell us you support the Pep Band and want to
be counted among us. Tell friends to visit www.orangevest.org to hear of our
plight and find out the latest news.
Together we can, and will, save The Award-Winning Virginia Fighting Cavalier
Indoor/Outdoor Precision(?) Marching Pep Band And Chowder Society Revue,
Unlimited!!!
Sincerely,
Friends of The Virginia Pep Band
P.S. FVPB has been structured as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. We are
in the process of preparing our application for tax-exempt status with the
IRS. If our application is approved, contributions to FVPB received after
June 1, 2003 will be tax deductible. If you make a donation and provide
contact information, we will let you know as soon as we find out about the
disposition of our application.
P.P.S. This mailing list allows us to update all alumni and other
supporters once a month on the status of the band. Due to projected
growth we ask that you reply to friends@orangevest.org. Your address has
been protected from spam and has not been given to any solicitors,
malcontents, etc. nor will it be in the future. If you wish to
unsubscribe please email majordomo@orangevest.org with the word
"unsubscribe" in the body of your message.
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