Medical school students, doctors take to basketball court for meaningful cause
Docs for Morgan honors the memory of Morgan Dana Harrington.
Players sank deep 3-pointers, grappled for rebounds, and dove to the hardwood for loose basketballs. Coaches called out set plays from the bench and strategically deployed their timeouts as the clock ticked down. The crowd went wild, holding up signs and cheering.
To most observers, the 12th annual Docs for Morgan competition may have appeared to be just one of many highly competitive basketball games that are held in the region’s high school gymnasiums this time of year. The way the Roanoke community, Virginia Tech, and Carilion Clinic continue to come together in remembrance of Morgan Dana Harrington and in support of her family brings much more meaning to this particular game.
“The outpouring of support we have received from the community throughout the years has been integral for our feeling of healing and wholeness,” said Gil Harrington, Morgan’s mother. “You can’t fix a broken leg by yourself. You can’t fix a broken heart by yourself either.”
Morgan worked at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) as a summer intern when she was a rising junior at Virginia Tech. She had planned to become a teacher after she graduated. She was tragically abducted and murdered after attending a concert in Charlottesville in 2009.
The Harrington family established the Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship fund at the medical school to honor their daughter’s memory and “to support the education of the young people who are taking healing out to the world.” The Docs for Morgan game pits physicians against medical students to raise donations for the scholarship.
“This is such a great event every year in that it brings together the medical school, the students, and doctors from Carilion Clinic. It also brings together a huge number of people from the community from cheerleaders to bands to the fans,” said Daniel Harrington, Morgan’s father and the former vice dean of the medical school. “It’s nice to have a way to remember Morgan that has remained very popular and successful in support of the medical school.”
The game and other fundraising efforts have helped the Harrington Memorial Scholarship generate more than $500,000 to support medical students. This year’s scholarship recipient, Paul Griffin, was a first-time competitor in the game, which the students won 59-45 on Jan. 24 at Patrick Henry High School.
“What’s exceptional about VTCSOM is its tight-knit community. Our class, in particular, has bonded by playing pickup basketball, so it seemed natural to play in the game with my classmates,” Griffin said. “We heard a lot about the game’s energy and atmosphere, and it did not disappoint. It is a special opportunity to remember and celebrate both Morgan herself and the unity of this community in the face of tragedy.”
Tracey Criss, a psychiatrist at Carilion Clinic, led the establishment of the Docs for Morgan game and has been its chief planner since its inception. She has also played in every game for the physicians’ team.
“I look forward to playing in this game every year, and we definitely play hard to take home the trophy,” Criss said. “But in the end, all the physicians and all the students know this game is really about honoring Morgan and supporting the Harrington family. I’m so pleased with how this event has become such a lasting tradition. The goodness of people is inspiring.”
The game has a way of leveling the playing field between the students and the physicians, who are their clinical faculty and residents.
“When else do students have an opportunity to interact with the people who are teaching them and who they look up to, in a competitive environment?” said Gil Harrington. “I think it changes the dynamic a little bit. They still have the underlying respect for their teachers but they can show them a little challenge. It really opens up an opportunity for more of a connection between the students and the faculty.”
Speeches at the game also underscored the importance of safety and vigilance, especially among young women. Although rare, what happened to Morgan can happen to anyone and it takes a community to prevent it as well as to recover from tragedy.
“Back when all this occurred, the outpouring of support from Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech, the medical school, the media, and the community as a whole was incredible. We could not have healed without them,” Dan Harrington said. “Having worked at VTCSOM, it is so heartwarming to see the students continue to think of Morgan without even knowing her.”
