Rallying Support with Passion & Personal Connection

Scott Marsell, ALS United Illinois Supporter & Individual Living with ALS

On Sunday, July 30, staff member Peggy Merriman had the pleasure of joining Scott and his incredible support network for his second annual Ice Bucket Challenge fundraiser. Prior to his ALS diagnosis, Scott was an avid and creative fundraiser supporting causes close to his heart, such as pediatric cancer support and research. Since his diagnosis, Scott has turned some of that energy toward raising funds and awareness for ALS care and research. He has successfully engaged his employer, Mitsubishi Electric, in these efforts and has been named chairperson for the company’s VISION philanthropy committee.

Scott’s 2023 Ice Bucket Challenge event was held at a local brewery. Modeled after the Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014, Scott and his supporters arranged for a dunk tank and a station where people could participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge after raising specific amounts of pledges. On a hot summer day, these were certainly crowd pleasers! There were many drawings for a wide variety of creative gift baskets, as well as several raffles. It was a day of celebrating friendship and family, and uniting for a cause that was important to all who attended. Proceeds were donated in Scott’s honor, as well as in memory of his dear friend’s mother who died of ALS in 2021. He generously gave Peggy a few minutes to ask a few questions about his fundraising endeavors.

How has your professional experience influenced the way you approach and organize fundraising efforts for causes that are close to your heart?

I think the main influence from my work (VISION) fundraisers and our personal friends-and-family ones, is sponsorship. Being the chair of our VISION committee at Mitsubishi Electric, I see all the requests for help from other charities and a common item is sponsorship levels. I always thought of sponsors as to help pay for something to offset the cost of the event, but now I realize that we can set up sponsorship levels simply as donations to the cause. Both groups of people I work with are amazing and they do the behind-the-scenes work and don’t want the accolades that come with it. We all do this to make a difference in the world. If we had a person that could influence and bring in more awareness and funds, then I’d be happy to step out of the limelight of any of our fundraising.

Can you tell us how your personal journey with ALS has shaped your perspective on fundraising and giving back to the community?

I think that you will get similar answers to this question from anyone that has ALS and chooses to fundraise and be an advocate. We don’t want anyone else to go through this crap. As you know, this is an awful disease that can suck the life out of you, and it does. It can be a roller coaster of emotions on a daily basis. I hate the thought of anyone else going through this, and that’s what drives me to be an advocate for ALS. I know that most likely that when a cure is found for it – and there will be – that it won’t help me but it will help others that get diagnosed with it. I’m very grateful that I don’t have the gene that can cause it, the idea that it could be in the family would really get to me, the thought of any family member possibly getting this would kill me, especially my nieces and nephews. But I feel that anyone that has this crap, has a very similar mindset.

Throughout August, you raised funds to support our organization’s initiatives. What impact do you envision these funds making for other individuals and families affected by ALS?

I hope that the awareness we spread out reaches the masses and even gets to other countries, as this is a global disease. But I hope that what we raise for the organization is enough to help families that can’t afford treatments or certain devices that help with dealing with the progression of ALS. ALS United Illinois is full of amazing people that I have the pleasure of talking with, and we have already adopted some of team into our family. And I hope that what we do helps them help more people.

With your expertise in fundraising, what advice would you give to others who are passionate about supporting causes and want to make a difference, whether they’re organizing events like the Ice Bucket Challenge or contributing in other ways?

The simplest advice that I can give for this is to find your passion for it and add the personal connection to it. Unfortunately, I am the personal connection in my community but I am willing to exploit that for the greater good. I am not afraid to be vulnerable knowing that we can make a difference from it.

Also, know your community when it comes to the type of event that you will choose to run. My community is a bit on the nutty side and willing to do whatever it takes to help. I am very lucky to have such amazing people around me that will go to the ends of the earth to help out. Adding the personal connection or getting that one person in your community that just has a knack for pulling people together to help out with promoting the event is so crucial to maximize your efforts.

“Find your passion for it and add the personal connection to it.”