It’s mid-March and spring is in the air. Sure, the flowers may not be in bloom, but spring philanthropies certainly are.
Tri Delta sorority’s most recent philanthropy event was their postcard and letter campaign to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, titled “Sincerely Yours.” Letters went our to family and friends all across the country, including personal stories about a particular patient and donation requests.
One of the more important fundraiser events for the Omaha Tri Delta chapter, the event has taken place at Creighton for three years now. First launched back in 2005 and a campaign supported by the Epsilon Mu chapter since joining Creighton Greek life, this year was the first year the campaign was brought full scale as a campus-wide event.
“This year was a bit experimental, we had a goal of having 200 letters sent out by non-Tri Delts, and we actually surpassed that goal with roughly 250 letters filled out and sent out by students unaffiliated with Tri Delta,” said Tri Delta’s philanthropy chair Maria Barnett, “I am more than happy about this result, at the end of the day my goal as philanthropy chair is to raise awareness as well as funds to support St. Jude, and by doing at least one of those two things, we are doing our jobs as members of Tri Delta. “
The first campaign campus-wide was dubbed a success and many Tri Delta members were surprised by such enthusiasm and generosity.
“I was surprised by the number of Creighton students that enthusiastically contributed their own letters,” said junior member Morgan McVay, “The sense of community and generosity that Creighton students exemplify continues to pleasantly surprise me.”
The simple task of providing an address, a few words and a signature makes it easy and free for students to participate. Most philanthropies are based on an intramural game or fun event which requires $5-$10 and hands you a t-shirt. But, “Sincerely Yours” took a much more lenient approach.
“Students contributed to our philanthropy without having to pay out of their own pocket and on a college campus that is hard to find with philanthropy events,” said Barnett.
A new laid back approach and plan that was finally brought to scale, made for a successful campaign, 250 letters collected from the Creighton community and over 7,250 letters in total. However the importance of planning and logistics pales in comparison to personal connections the chapter has to the cause.
“One member has a sister who had brain cancer as a child and is now a survivor, another lost a friend to cancer during high school, and many girls have their own stories, said Barnett, “My connection to St. Jude is its mission.”
Providing a colorful and bright safe haven for families in need, St. Jude is the place where cancer patients go when every other treatment option has been exhausted. St. Jude may be the patron saint of lost causes, but the hospital itself is fueled by hope. Hope from family, friends, medical staff and of course communities such as Tri Delta who contribute to the cause from afar.
Emotional connections certainly make for a genuine campaign and, in general, a stronger emphasis on the dimensions of Greek life that focus on philanthropy and service.
“I feel lot of individuals may not realize that supporting outside organizations through fundraising and campaigning can actually be made into a fun, social event while continuing to support a great cause,” said McVay, “Overall, I think Creighton does a remarkable job of defying the Greek stereotype by encouraging both the fraternities and sororities to share their philanthropy and community partners with the Creighton community.”