Inside Look at the #PassFir5t Movement
By Matt Haley
Editors Note: Special thanks to Keeping It Heel staff writer Matthew Haley. Haley was feeling in the #PassFir5t mood which you’ll learn all about shortly, and in order to help spread the word of this terrific cause. He has shared his interview which originally published on his website The Water Cooler.
Kendall Marshall’s injury may in the long run could do more good than anyone could ever imagine. His injury sparked an idea by one fan with Kendall’s assisting though the use of twitter the brains behind the #PassFir5t movement are helping raise money and awareness for a worthy cause. The MandMsportshow caught up with the creator of #PassFir5t to give our readers an inside view behind the cause.
Matthew Haley (Water Cooler/Keeping It Heel): Where did the idea of #Passfir5t originate and how did you get involved with the St. Baldrick’s foundation?
#PassFir5t: The #PassFir5t movement really started while I was sitting in class And as we all know when Kendall went down with the injury every UNC fan was devastated, not only for the team but for him because he was playing the best basketball of his college career. So as I was venturing around Facebook I saw someone on the UNC meme page had decided to put the number 5 on their wrist. We then set up a twitter page that grabbed the attention of around 20 or so people at the start. Then Kendall re-tweeted some of our stuff and in under an hour we had over 1,000 followers and tons of pictures.
It’s kind of a funny story, of how we got linked up with St. Baldricks. However, just to clean things up we are actually teamed with a group called Basebald, The creator and founder of Basebald, is actually a really close friend of ours, and a cancer survivor and has been a really big inspiration for us here at PassFir5t.
Basebaldis a non-profit here on the campus of UNC, which works closely with the UNC baseball team and other college baseball teams throughout the area to raise money by shaving their heads for the kids of St.Baldricks.
In the beginning stages of #PassFir5t we gained a lot of followers, however, we also heard a lot of people that were questioning what if #PassFir5t could be something more, than just hoping our favorite point guard could play on Friday, or Sunday. So, that actually got us thinking, lets take the whole thing a step further. We felt that #PassFir5t could become an example of how one should live their life.
So now we use the name #PassFir5tin order to promote the idea of selflessness and putting others before one’s self, much like Kendall does every time he steps on the court. We would like to leverage the energy and impact that #PassFir5t has gained from Twitter and Facebook to promote these ideals and encourage people to do things in their communities.
The first step to doing this, was setting up a quick meeting with Basebaldon Thursday, in which the owner of Basebald was shocked to find out who had started #PassFir5t.We told them we wanted to team up, we shook hands, and within 24hrs we had raised $2000 to go towards kids fighting cancer at the hospitals on the campus of UNC.
Matthew Haley: Is there anymore insight you can provide for why this is an important cause and our readers should most certainly research further?
#PassFir5t: Again, the St.Baldricks, foundation is one that raises money for kids fighting cancers all over the world. However we understand that the fans of #PassFir5t are fans of UNC which is why we teamed with Basebald. It allows our fans to actually #PassFir5t in affecting lives right here in the community and on the campus of the school in which they love. If people really want to embody what #PassFir5t is all about they should seek out the info on this cause, or find one that maybe even closer to their hearts and attempt to make a difference by putting others before themselves.
Matthew Haley: UNC fans are following you due to the injury of Kendall Marshall. How can fans help support the Passfir5t movement?
#PassFir5t: Fans can support the #PassFir5t movement by simply going to www.PassFir5t.com and making a donation, or by purchasing a #PassFir5t T-shirt. However, the best way to support the movement is by simply embodying #PassFir5t I think Kendall said it best when he stated “#PassFir5t isn’t about me. It’s an idea to put others before yourself. Embody the PassFir5t attitude and help someone today.”
Matthew Haley: Whether or not Kendall Marshall plays tomorrow he will recover from this injury. What is the plan moving forward to continue to spread the Passfir5t movement and continued support of the Baldrick’s foundation?
#PassFir5t: Moving forward with the #PassFir5t movement we hope to officially become a non-profit organization that will help promote non-profit efforts on the campus of UNC, in Chapel Hill, and in the surrounding area. We will also continue to create new campaigns on the likes of twitter and Facebook. We fully understand, that a lot of the motivation for our movement has been built around Kendall and the run the Tar Heels are making in the NCAA tournament. However, beyond those we truly believe that people have seen the potential that the movement has in making a difference in so many lives, we have spoken with Kendall, and he’s excited about keeping this movement going and has some creative ideas, and we hope the #PassFir5t community will continue to support us.
Matthew Haley: Finally how do you think the Tar Heels play tomorrow against Kansas with a chance to move on to the final four?
#PassFir5t: Obviously, we feel the Tar Heels will come out with something to prove tomorrow. Many people have continued to doubt this team from the beginning of the season until now. With or without Kendall we think the team has embraced the #PassFir5t movement and have seen what they can do if they pull together and play to their full potential. The Heels will come out bigger, faster, and tougher than ever and move on to the final four. #GoHeels #PassFir5t
To find out more information about the PASSFIR5T Movement you can visit the following places:
Donate at: PassFir5t.com
Follow us on Twitter: @PassFir5t
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/PassFir5tCarolina
As always you can follow the Haley and MandMsportshow on twitter @MandMSportshow and you can read more articles from Haley at The Water Cooler.
I also had the opportunity to sit down with PassFir5t. To see Founding Editor Matt’s Q/A with this terrific movement continue to page 2