A dream come true JMU club creates joy for local, underserved children

By LILLYANNE DAY The Breeze

Aly Coppage, a fifth-year student and the president of A Moment of Magic at JMU, said although 50% of the kids the club serves have pediatric cancer, they'll visit any kid going through a hard time.

A Moment of Magic is an organization made up of students who dress up as well-known characters from classic movies and TV shows and travel to hospitals in the Harrisonburg community with the goal of bringing joy into the lives of individuals who may be going through an obstacle.

Coppage spoke about the importance of giving back and helping individuals who are facing adversity. She joined the club during the pandemic and has since helped raise awareness for the club and its mission.

Coppage said A Moment of Magic is a nonprofit that looks to improve the quality of life of vulnerable and underserved children by inspiring them to be brave, strong and fearless through funding and engaging in social wellness activities.

Coppage said the club fulfills many visits a week and has traveled to 25 different locations this year. The places A Moment of Magic tends to visit include the VCU and U.VA. children's hospitals, which it travels to on a rotating schedule that repeats every few months.

With 48 members, the A Moment of Magic chapter at JMU is the largest in the state and it travels within a four-hour radius for visits, Coppage said, in addition to characters, the club currently has 10 of the 48 club members who are “Magic Makers,” who help with events and travel but don’t wear a costume.

For members who are interested in becoming characters, they'll complete an audition and fundraising process for their future costume. Coppage said costumes start at a cost of $500 but usually end up costing more. Members will fundraise independently and through club fundraisers to raise money for their costumes.

“Our costumes are high quality and we want the experience to be magical for the kids, so the costumes are specially ordered, which isn’t a cheap process,” Coppage said.

The JMU club helps with an annual event that takes place in September called Curefest in Washington, D.C., which is a multiday event that focuses on helping and supporting children and families who are affected by childhood cancer. The event draws chapters from all over the country and is organized by A Moment of Magic’s national branch.

A Moment of Magic at JMU has attended Curefest for years but this past year, it piloted and facilitated workshops, which are two hours long. Coppage said the workshops consist of ageappropriate coping activities to give kids the skills they need to face their respective challenges.

In addition to workshops, characters spend time with kids and family members — simply to bring a smile to their face.

Junior Jordan Hundley, member of A Moment of Magic, said one of the most impactful moments during her time with the club was the connection she made with a little girl at Curefest. They spent the majority of the event together, and the girl's love for Hundley stayed with her after the event, Hundley said. Hundley works for the national branch of A Moment of Magic, which meant she could keep in touch with the young girl’s family after Curefest ended.

Joining A Moment of Magic was a no-brainer for Hundley, she said, because she was already familiar with childhood cancer and the effects it can have on families. Her twin sister Skyler Hundley, who's also a JMU student, is a pediatric cancer survivor, which meant Hundley had been to many different pediatric cancer support groups throughout her life.

“What drew me in was everyone's passion — everyone cared so much," Hundley said. “It wasn't just a club where people wanted to dress up and have fun and be pretty, and it's given me a purpose. I know that the work we do is so meaningful and important, and that drives you to do it every day. We wake up at 4 a.m. sometimes and drive four hours, but it's all so worth it.”

Junior Hannah McAllister, the media director and member of A Moment of Magic, said she feels the same attachment to the club as she did during the pandemic in 2020, when everything was virtual. That obstacle didn’t stunt A Moment of Magic at JMU, she said.

“I was drawn in by the fact that they were still making a difference even virtually, and I liked that,” McAllister said. “A Moment of Magic pivoted very well during the pandemic.”

McAllister said that members of the club did virtual visits or travel by car, which allowed for a distanced visit with children during the pandemic.

Since the end of the pandemic, A Moment of Magic at JMU has had the opportunity to do more for the community, McAllister said, though what sparks her passion for the club has changed.

“What draws me to the organization now is how it has grown into a vibrant and thriving community,” McAllister said. “A Moment of Magic is filled with incredible people, all fighting for a really good mission — we’re all fighting to benefit the kids and bring them joy.”

McAllister said through her work rebranding A Moment of Magic’s social media platform, the club has been able to present itself professionally to anyone who may be interested in joining or seeing what the club does. Its Instagram page now has more intentional and posts than it used to and clearly shares what the club has been doing so people can easily follow along.

“When we look professional and when I showcase the work that we do, it draws people in because they know that we’re an organization they can trust, and they’ll have fun and make a difference at,” McAllister said.

Looking back on her time with A Moment of Magic, McAllister said she treasures the experiences she’s shared with the children and families the organization has visited.

“The memories that stand out are the special moments I’ve gotten to have with the kids,” McAllister said. “There were some special stories, which may not seem like a big thing, but those moments shine bright as beautiful memories during my college experiences.”

Editors note: Luke Freisner, pictured above, is a former writer for The Breeze.

CONTACT LillyAnne Day at daymillm@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @ Breeze_Culture.