As per tradition, Marshall’s homecoming court walked the football field awaiting the crowning of two winning attendants this past Saturday, Oct. 5.

This year, however, was a bit different. All of the attendants– who usually raise money and awareness for selected causes– decided to work together and elevate relief efforts on Hurricane Helene, a category four storm that ripped through parts of the southern United States at the end of September.

Opponent Appalachian State University was one of the many communities and campuses affected by the hurricane. This prompted the court to choose the cause.

The winning attendants, Dylan Ellison and Kylie Fisher, said that banding together to support a fellow university was a no-brainer.

“I was so fortunate to be able to give back to App State,” Fisher said. “I’m really proud that our whole homecoming court was excited enough to be able to give back to App State and raise money for them.”

“The sole purpose and the sole goal was to raise as much as we can collectively in an united fashion,” Ellison said.

However, the amount put towards relief funding directly from Marshall’s homecoming court is not known.

Buffy Six, communications coordinator for the Office of Intercultural & Student Affairs, said that the donation format did not allow for the ability to track the exact number of fundraised money.

“The majority of fundraising was done through the QR codes that went directly to the App State Natural Disaster Relief Fund,” Six said.

Western North Carolina continues to be impacted by the aftermath of Helene. President Biden has ordered 500 additional troops to the Tarheel State to speed up the recovery process.

Sarah Davis can be contacted at [email protected].