To start this academic year, the Midshipman Action Group (MAG) distinguished itself with its first-ever September 11th Day of Commemoration and Service. They were involved in a Day of Service at the WWII memorial across the Severn River and at neighboring Jonas Green Park. In addition, MAG mids held a community moment of silence at the Memorial for all service members and civilians who lost their lives on September 11th.
One of MAG’s most prolific programs was ‘‘Mids for Kids.” Approximately 200 midshipmen gave close to a thousand hours of volunteer time to children in local classrooms. The most recent ‘‘Mids for Kids” project took place just last month--the Read Across America Program--in which the great works of Dr. Seuss were honored.
Not only did MAG reach out to children, but also to the homeless population in our county. The MAG partnered with the local Department of Social Services to hold a homeless resource day once a year and to bring information on vital services for those most in need in our county. More than 100 midshipmen took part.
In January MAG took a moveable feast to our wounded warriors at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Midshipman 1st Class Kenna Vanourney spearheaded the MAG post-holiday celebration with our wounded service members and their families.
The midshipmen responded to a call to action last February concerning an alumnus from 2009. MAG was informed that he was suffering from leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. Midshipman 1st Class Christopher Memminger and Midshipman 1st Class Alison Degan, our MAG vice-president and president of the action group, responded immediately. Together, they led a MAG one-day event in which they and more than 40 other MAGsters collected more than 1,374 bone marrow kits from fellow midshipmen donors in the hopes that a match would be found, which it was.
This year’s MAG spring volunteer week had two destinations: the continuing Katrina rebuilding project in Louisiana and Crow Reservation in Montana. In Montana, 12 midshipmen volunteered on the reservation rebuilding homes for older tribal members, fixing fences and rehabilitating a down-and-out barn. Upon completion of the barn rehab, they hung up a painted sign under the eaves that reads, ‘‘Don’t give up the barn.” In the process they learned a lot about Crow culture. The midshipmen participated in a sweat lodge, ate local elk, learned native dances and even some of the Crow language.
The Special Olympics project in early April was a two-day annual event this year, chaired by Midshipman 2nd Class Praveen Murthy, that amassed more than 3,000 volunteer hours with its many aquatic and track-and-field events. Many community partners were involved as well, from the Jaycees to local schools. It was a huge event with more than 300 athletes.
This year, MAG’s Habitat for Humanity projects were prominent in north Anne Arundel County and on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and their Hispanic outreach projects are prevalent in the local Annapolis schools, providing ESL (English as a second language) training and math tutoring.
These were just some of the most prominent MAG programs. We are all honored to be a part of MAG, made possible by the generosity of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. The Class of 1992 alone has raised about $112,000 to support the Domestic MAG Program since May ’09. They provide a maximum of $20,000 to MAG per year from that amount and earlier money raised. The 1992 support fund has $104,000 in cash and $67,000 in outstanding pledges.
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