Many in the area know Brian Mance, who played football for and graduated from Manning High School and went on to coach football at Wofford College in Spartanburg. Two and a half years ago, Mance’s life took a turn for the worse.
On the way home from a July 4th celebration with his family, Mance began to experience neck pain, which became so severe, he ended up in the emergency room. The pain increased, and Mance lost mobility in his limbs. A team of doctors finally diagnosed Mance with neursarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disorder.
In 2016, FFA Alumni Chapter Officer Tanisha Thames reached out to Manning Junior High FFA Advisor Micheal Haynes and Manning High FFA Advisor Alonzo McDonald. The three partnered to hold a fundraising dinner to raise money for Mance and his family. They repeated the fundraiser in October.
“After we did it the first time, we were hoping his condition would improve,” said Haynes. “However, his condition did not improve, so we decided to go back and do it again.”
Haynes’ and McDonald’s FFA members organized ticket sales for the event. The students were also involved in gathering the supplies for the dinner.
“This is something we want to do every year,” said Haynes.
For those who wish to donate to Mance’s Go Fund Me page, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/2g9z97e4.
