Jan. 3, 2023 –The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM)’s annual Docs for Morgan fundraiser will feature, for the first time since 2020, an in-person basketball game pitting medical students against Carilion Clinic residents and physicians. The event, which supports the Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship Fund at VTCSOM, has been held in different formats in recent years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Docs for Morgan will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Patrick Henry High School gymnasium at 2120 Grandin Road in Roanoke. Admission to the public event is free, and donations to the scholarship fund are encouraged.
“It really means so much that we can be back in person and welcome a crowd to cheer on the students and physicians as they battle it out on the court for a great cause,” said Tracey Criss, associate dean for clinical science years 3 and 4 at the medical school. “This event is really about honoring Morgan and supporting the Harrington family. Over the years it has brought together the medical school, community, and Carilion Clinic. It’s something we look forward to every year.”
Dan Harrington recently retired from his role as vice dean of VTCSOM, where he played an integral role in establishing the school. His daughter Morgan worked as an intern at VTCSOM while a rising junior at Virginia Tech.
After Morgan’s tragic death in 2009, the outpouring of support from VTCSOM, Virginia Tech, Carilion Clinic, and the community helped the Harringtons on their path of healing. In honor of Morgan’s life, they created the Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship at the medical school, funded the Morgan Harrington Educational Wing at OMNI Village in Zambia, and founded Help Save the Next Girl, a national nonprofit that educates children and young adults about the need for safety and personal responsibility.
The first Docs for Morgan basketball game was held in 2013. The game and other fundraising efforts have helped the Harrington Memorial Scholarship generate more than $500,000 to benefit students at VTCSOM.