Thank you to all of our faithful GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com users. Because of your tremendous loyalty, the Foundation received over $500 from GoodSearch.com this year alone! This is a phenomenal achievement and we are setting out sights high again next year. Let's make 2008 another record breaker!
Click on the "Play" button to hear Kim Hildred, Foundation President, and Sandy Grossman, Grand Archon personally thank our amazing donors!
Thank you to our Epsilon Rho sisters at York College who wrote to the Foundation to tell us about their outstanding service projects that celebrated Make A Difference Day. Sharee, the chapter's Philanthropy Chair, wrote to tell us:
This year's Make A Difference Day (MADD) was especially important to us because we were able to help the National Kidney Foundation which, as you know, is supported by the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation!
On October 27th we participated in our Campus Adopt-a-Block, which was organized to help clean the college community. However, the day after, we participated in the NKF's annual walk in Lancaster, Pa. Even though the walk was a day after MADD, we know we made a difference on that day especially. Sisters volunteered from 8:30 am, until 1:30 pm, registering walkers, handing out give-a-ways, distributing food and prizes, and much more. We showed up full force and wanted to give the coordinators a break, therefore we let them know we were at their every beck and call!
We had a great time, the walk was great, and we also had the chance to meet our sisters from West Chester University!
Our Delta Iota chapter at Central Michigan University has had a busy November and December! Thank you to the chapter sisters who wrote to the Foundation to tell us all about their wonderful accomplishments!
From Mr. Phi Significant to selling Candy Grams and building can-castles, this past month was filled with philanthropic events for the Delta Iota chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma! Sisters came together with their support and help in these events.
Mr. Phi Significant is an annual fun-filled event where men compete in various competitions to find out who has what it takes to be crowned Mr. Phi Significant. A great deal of planning and preparations are done for this event by our chapter and we reaped the rewards this year! Raising just under $1000 for the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation was extremely rewarding upon completion of the event!
Our chapter also decided to create a new fundraising event for our philanthropy this semester. Several weeks before the holiday season, Delta Iota sold Candy Grams on-campus. This philanthropic event was not only enjoyed by those receiving Candy Grams, but also by the sisters who sold them!
Another new event that Delta Iota recently participated in was the Panhellenic Can-Castle Competition. Numerous sororities gathered on a Sunday afternoon to construct a can castle. Our chapter thought outside of the box and constructed a Christmas tree with 200 canned goods. We were also able to use one prop, which consisted of Christmas tree lights. Our chapter took first place in the competition due what the judges noted as creativity allowing us to receive $100 towards the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation! Delta Iota also donated the most canned goods, which benefited local charities.
The last event we participated in this semester was a new competition sponsored by Sigma Pi. It was called “Miracle on Main Street”, and consisted of houses decorating for the Holiday’s. We had SO much fun decorating our amazing house. Our entry fee was a donation to Toys for Tots. The street was open to the public one evening, and the children we able to enjoy hot chocolate and candy canes as they walked down Main Street. It was truly beautiful. It really helped us de-stress from finals, and have fun getting together to highlight the best house on Main Street.
Delta Iota prides themselves on giving back and this past month has been nothing less than an opportunity to give back to our philanthropy in phenomenal ways!
Dear Sisters, Nearly 100 years ago, ten women with extreme foresight came together in friendship and inclusiveness to create a new sorority – Phi Sigma Sigma. Each November, thousands of collegiate and alumnae sisters from across North America honor our Founders on and around the day of our founding – November 26.
Over the past several weeks, Phi Sigma Sigma has seen has seen an incredible surge of alumnae and collegians stepping forward to commemorate our Founders with generous support for our Founders’ Day Campaign.
Many are wondering, “Is it too late to join?” And the answer is, “NO”!
We hope you’ll seize this final opportunity to participate. More than 200 sisters have responded thus far, raising close to $20,000 in special support of the 2008 NKF Transplant Games.
During this season of giving, we know of no better step you could take in assisting patients across the country who are right now awaiting a lifesaving transplant. Please step forward TODAY your tax-deductible gift to help. Being included is as easy as following this link: https://www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org/donate/founders.php
Every dollar will help support the Foundation’s sponsorship of this vitally important biennial event. Many thanks for your care and concern. Our Founders were visionary leaders and we know that they would be proud that today’s sisters are demonstrating that same leadership by serving others.
Thank you for helping to perpetuate our founding sisters’ legacy of service and best wishes for a happy Founders’ Day.
The Board of Directors of the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation
Thousands of sisters have made a contribution to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation through the click of a mouse without even thinking about it! We're talking about the sisters who have discovered the website http://www.goodsearch.com/ and have designated the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation (Elkridge, Md.) as your charity of choice.
Now, just in time for the busy holiday season, GoodSearch.com has expanded to GoodShop.com. Are you going to order some of your holiday presents online? If so, your purchase can help raise meaningful funds for the Foundation. GoodShop.com features literally thousands of online retailers that you were probably going to shop at anyway.
How? It's easy! Simply go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ or http://www.goodsearch.com/ and designate the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation as your charity of choice. Then, just link to retailers through one of those sites.
Here's some more information from GoodSearch.com:
Am I paying more to shop through GoodShop? Is this any different than buying directly from the retailer?
Absolutely not! The experience of shopping through GoodShop is exactly the same as going to the retailer directly – you receive the same prices and level of service. The retailers are responsible for collecting payment, shipping and returns.
The Foundation received these beautiful quotes from many of the sisters who attended the Baltimore and Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapters Founders' Day events at Headquarters in Elkridge, Maryland. Enjoy!
Happy Founders’ Day – It is a beautiful fall day, and Headquarters is a perfect place to gather with sisters to celebrate the founding of Phi Sigma Sigma. How wonderful to be here with all of the Sisters, to share our warm memories of Phi Sig life and to know that it is really true that “once a Phi Sig, always a Phi Sig.” - Judith Distler, Past Grand Archon
Today is a wonderful Day for Phi Sigma Sigma. To celebrate Founders’ Day is always special but it’s extraordinary to celebrate with so many sisters. We’re fortunate to have three past Grand Archons here with us. So many wonderful memories have been shared and it’s fantastic knowing that we all have one thing in common…Phi Sigma Sigma. - Christy Smith, Theta Rho, University of Virginia College at Wise
What an honor…to remember the founding of our beloved fraternity with sisters from chapters near and far…and within the beautiful walls of our Fraternity Headquarters! Thank you, Founders, for your vision and courage…may we always live up to your dreams and expectations! LITP, Louise Kier Zirretta, Past Grand Archon
I’m so happy to celebrate Founders’ Day at the Headquarters…just one week after visiting with the wonderful women of Theta Chapter at the University of Illinois! May the Founders be looking upon the Theta ladies over the coming years. I wish you the best of luck with upcoming recruitment. LITP, Jennifer Nevius, Theta, University of Illinois
Celebrating our Founders in such in intimate yet festive way follows in the vision of the Founders of coming together to celebrate sisterhood and friendship. This even has brought together new alumnae with seasoned volunteers to create a great platform for sharing and learning. I love sharing time with my sisters, and to be able to do this at our new home in Elkridge, Celebrating the perpetuity of Phi Sigma Sigma is highly rewarding. LITP, Gretchen Ehle, Kappa, George Washington University
Founders’ Day 2007 – do you think that in 1913 when our Founders started this organization, they envisioned creating an organization where in the next millennium, sisters from across the country would gather in their honor in a beautiful headquarters office to bring Founders Day—my first in more years than many of you have been in this world. Didn’t know if I would make it, but I did and am happy I did. The effort was well worth it. When they say the sorority is a sisterhood they are right on. While I didn’t meet chapter sisters, I met many sisters from many chapters. I’m glad I came and hope to make many, many more events in the coming months. - Victoria Dorf, Beta Nu, Brooklyn College
What an exciting time it is to be celebrating Founders’ Day at Headquarters! This has been an amazing year for Phi Sig with all of the new changes. I think our Founders would be so proud with our growth and direction. I had a wonderful time today meeting other area alumnae and hope we can continue this as an annual Founders’ Day tradition. LITP, Amy Lewis, Gamma Sigma, Virginia Commonwealth University
It’s great to be back up North with so many Phi Sigs in the neighborhood. I am delighted to celebrate Founders’ Day today and to remember our Founders’ twin ideals. I want to thank everyone who has continued to support the Foundation. Thanks to all our $19.13 donors! We appreciate it. – LITP, Nancy Hay (Nash), Foundation Executive Director
Our Founders’ Day celebration at Headquarters was amazing. What a wonderful day remember our Founders who have taught us so much about the importance of serving others, inclusiveness, and advancing womanhood. Thank you Founders for creating Phi Sigma Sigma and through our sisterhood bringing so many phenomenal friends into my life. Thank you Michelle Ardern, Fraternity Executive Director and her staff for sharing our beautiful Headquarters with us and for so many of the staff (Lisa Wallace, Cara Fabrocini, and former staff Nicole Westerfer and Jacqueline Bannigan) for joining us for our celebration. Thanks to those who worked so hard to make the day happen, including Michele Dominiak from the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter and Rachelle Seeds from the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter. Kim Hildred, Past Grand Archon, Foundation President
Days like today make me appreciate our sorority. Thanks Baltimore and Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapters for co-sponsoring this event! Our Founders' Day celebration at HQ was a time to connect, to reminisce, to catch up with one another. The room was filled with sisters of all ages, from many chapters who all share a special bond. I am always amazed at the power of sisterhood, and thankful for what Phi Sig has brought into my life. Michelle Snyder Ardern, Delta Iota, Central Michigan University, Executive Director
On September 29th, some of the sisters from the Delta Sigma chapter took to the zoo and participated in the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Walk! It took place at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. We even received compliments for being a sorority doing helpful and productive things for our community!
The Foundation was delighted to hear from our Zeta Delta chapter (Bentley College) and Gamma Iota (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) sisters about their successful participation in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.
On October 14, 2007, Phi Sigma Sigma, Zeta Delta Chapter at Bentley College, participated in the American Cancer Society’s 15th annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.” Our chapter was joined by family and friends, including other Greek chapters from Bentley, Bentley faculty and staff, and the Gamma Iota chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
This year there were 40,000 walkers who raised a record high of 3.25 million dollars. “Phi Sigma Sigma and Friends” contributed $9,000 towards this grand total.
“Phi Sigma Sigma and Friends” was one of over two thousand teams to participate in the walk. Donations from “Making Strides” go towards raising awareness of this disease and provide funding for breast cancer research, advocacy, education, and patient services.This has been the highest donation that Bentley’s Phi Sigma Sigma has ever made, and it would not have been possible without the contributions given from the Bentley community.
One year ago today, the Foundation launched our permanent blog! We'll admit it...at the time, not everyone knew what a blog was, but today, we are all believers in the power of the 'net to reach out to our members from around the world.
The Foundation has loved staying in touch with our sisters through this online tool. In the coming year, we are "Aiming High" and anticipating even more features and more posts. Help us meet this goal by telling us about the wonderful work of our chapters, alumnae and collegians. We'd love to hear from you!
From all of the Foundation Directors, thank you for a wonderfully successful year!
Many of you are already planning amazing service projects as part of Make A Difference Day which is this Saturday, October 27. You can visit their website for great ideas at www.makeadifferenceday.com and check out this article that highlights efforts from around the country: http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/2007_articles/071021makeadifferenceday-nfl.html.
Be sure to write to the Foundation at foundation@phisigmasigma.org to tell us about your amazing efforts!
The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation has launched an exciting new initiative to commemorate the founding of Phi Sigma Sigma and celebrate its sisterhood. Participants in the Founders' Day Campaign are asked to contribute $19.13 to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. Each year, the Foundation board will designate a project or program to benefit from the Founders' Day Campaign. For Founders' Day 2007, the campaign will benefit our support of and participation in the 2008 National Kidney Foundation Transplant Games in Pittsburgh, Penn.
Every sister makes a difference! If just 10% of our collegiate members participate, we will raise more than $7,000. If just 3% of our alumnae members participate, we will raise more than $17,000. Please help us reach our goal of raising $30,000.
We would like to reach all our Phi Sig sisters to spread the word about this special celebration of our Founders; however, we do not have email addresses for many of our sisters. This is where you can help spread the word! Please click the link below to send an e-mail message to Phi Sig sisters in your address book to let them know about our Founders' Day Campaign. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with your chapter sisters and – more importantly – make a difference for those in need.
Click here to send an e-mail message to your special Phi Sig friends!
Click here to donate to the Founders' Day Campaign!
We couldn’t have picked a better day to walk to help those with kidney disease at the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk hosted by the National Kidney Foundation of the National Capital Area. I was so proud of the sisters from Beta Upsilon (American University) who got up so early on a Saturday morning during their fall break to live our core value of servant leadership. They, along with the sisters of Beta Alpha (University of Maryland) and the Northern Virginia alumnae chapter raised funds to help fight kidney disease and many joined us in walking to fight kidney disease.
Hearing again about the devastation caused by kidney disease reminded me of the importance of our sorority’s work volunteering and raising funds to help those with this debilitating and sometimes deadly disease. For example, did you know?
- 20 million Americans - 1 in 9 US adults - have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
and another 20 million more are at increased risk.- Over 96,000 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list in the United States.
- An average of 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.
- Every 12 minutes another person is added to the national transplant waiting list.
- More than two million Americans die each year, but only 15,000 die under circumstances that make them medically eligible to donate organs.
- Of the estimated 15,000 medically eligible to donate organs, only about 6,000 patients actually become donors.
I want to work even harder to make a difference, and I know many of my sisters do too. Spending the day with my phenomenal sisters made our effort even more meaningful.
Judith Distler, Past Grand Archon, Foundation Director and Northern Virginia alumnae chapter member added:
It was a beautiful fall day, the leaves just starting to turn colors, and it was perfect for a 5K walk to support the National Kidney Foundation. We assembled in the Georgetown Park Mall where we found face painters, bagels, water bottles, t-shirts, and other important support items for a event such as this. One of our Phi Sig sisters from American University (Beta Upsilon) even had a Sphinx painted on her face.The sight of so many Phi Sigma Sigma letters on shirts was thrilling to be sure, and also the fact that, along with the Northern Virginia Alumnae, we were the only Greeks to officially take part in this event. And, we discovered, a photo of us from last year is in the official brochure! Wow!
Next year, we hope to see more of our Alumnae sisters and perhaps some other local chapters represented. Everyone had a great time!
Congratulations to our very own Heather Kelley who completed the Philadelphia 3-Day to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Heather captured her feelings in this touching post for our blog.
Heather wrote,
My exciting 2007 Breast Cancer 3-Day journey is over! This marks my third year walking in the 3-Day, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust. This year was also special for me as this year’s
event was held the weekend after my wedding! Only such a fabulous event could take the place of a honeymoon! The 3-Day requires walkers to fundraise at least $2,200 per person while training to walk 60 miles over three days. I’m very proud to say that I’ve raised more than $7,500 during the three years I have walked and that I’ve met some incredible people along the way.
Maybe you would like to hear about the “woman in the yellow car” as she is known to Philadelphia 3-Dayers. She comes out every year as a supporter, following the route, playing music, cheering us on. Her enthusiasm is infectious and when you are feeling down, there she is. Or maybe you’d like to know about the two elderly men who followed us around this year with pink pompoms on their shoes and homemade t-shirts to wear each day. I could tell you about the incredible survivors who walk each year – some who have just finished their chemo treatments… or the 16 year old young woman who walked with her mom, also a survivor. Perhaps you’d like to know about the all volunteer crew who taped our knees, popped our blisters, served our meals, gave us water, patrolled while we slept safely in our tents, and made sure we were safe on the route.
But, I want to tell you about my friend, Melanie, who is an awesome Phi Sigma Sigma alumna from Xi (Temple University). Mel is the person who inspired me to begin this journey three years ago and encouraged me to think outside of the box I had put myself in. We all have ideas about what our personal limitations are (whether others would agree or not). My roadblock has always been athleticism. I’ve always doubted my capabilities and stereotyped myself as someone with no athletic ability. And Melanie forced me to re-evaluate that belief.
Mel first walked in the 3-Day four years ago in California, before the event was over held in Philadelphia. When she told me she was going to walk 60 miles over three days and sleep in a tent for two nights, I laughed in her face and wrote her a check. When she returned, she was completely enthralled with the power of the event. She quit her job, went to work for the company that plans the 3-Day and began recruiting sisters to get involved. A bunch of our friends signed up to walk right away and I began to realize that my negative attitude was what prevented me from joining them in their excitement. I spent a lot of time soul searching and talking to Mel about whether or not I could do this. She encouraged me to just do it and to face my fears about it along the way. The 3-Day is the hardest thing I’ve ever done… all three times, but also the most rewarding.
Although the 3-Day is not a Phi Sigma Sigma event, it’s really all about Phi Sigma Sigma to me. Through Phi Sig, I get to meet amazing women like Melanie…women who challenge me and inspire me… women who embody our core values and belief in the strength of sisterhood. I am thrilled that Melanie and I have decided to take our 3-Day journey in a new direction next year, as members of the volunteer crew. We can’t wait to make a difference in a whole new way.
We have been fortunate to hear from a number of chapters who have been engaged in important service work this semester. Keep the emails coming! We'd love to feature your chapter next! We also feature alumnae and collegiate sisters who are making a difference in their communities. Let us know if you know an outstanding sister!
The women of the Xi Chapter volunteered for the MS 150 Bike Race on September 30, 2007. The Bike Race is a two day trip that begins in Cherry Hill, NJ and goes down to Atlantic City and then ends back in Cherry Hill.
While the date we signed up for was the day after bid day, we had almost half of our 44 new members show up, as well as our initiated sisters.
Throughout the day, we cheered on bikers as they crossed the finish line, handed out over 8,000 slices of pizza to hungry athletes, and worked at various tents doing everything from handing out prizes, to pouring water and handing out luggage.
While waiting for the last bikers to cross the finish line, the DJ played music to keep the crowd energized and involved. At one point, "Its Raining Men" came on the radio which is a song that the Xi chapter had danced to during Greek Week. When the song came on, sisters jumped into song and dance formation and performed for everyone at the finish line. We were able to keep the crowd entertained, and the new members of our chapter were able to see how much fun participating in philanthropies can be.
By the end of the day, the volunteer coordinator had invited us back for next year, and offered all sisters the opportunity to intern with the organization. It was agreed that the MS 150 Bike Race was a favorite philanthropy for sisters and new members alike, and it was a wonderful way for us to start off another fantastic semester of giving back.
Congratulations to our Zeta Zeta chapter at Quinnipiac University for their successful Rock-A-Thon that was held the past weekend. They certainly "Aimed High" and exceeded their goals. The Foundation is so proud of your efforts!
Each year, the Zeta Zeta chapter holds their Rock-A-Thon during the Parent’s Weekend of Quinnipiac University. We are extremely pleased to announce that we made $7,000 this year from our philanthropic efforts. By introducing a new theme to our event and putting together really great raffles, we were able to exceed our goals. This year, we chose “Harvest Fest” as our theme for Rock-A-Thon and incorporated games, such as pumpkin decorating contests, and sold “popcorn hands” and other delicious treats. All of our raffle baskets were put together by sisters and we began selling raffle tickets in the Student Center for the week leading up to our event.
Our chapter kicked off the event at 3:30 on Friday, October 12 and we rocked for the next 24 hours - outside! We were joined by each Greek organization for a fun-filled night. Even though it got extremely cold, we kept our spirits high! On Saturday, we had women from our chapter walking around campus selling raffle tickets and encouraging families to come to our table. We are very proud of the success our event brought and the awareness we were able to raise during our Parent’s Weekend.
By now, you have probably heard about the Foundation's participation in Make A Difference Day...after all, we have received national recognition for our participation in the past!
The Foundation received this announcement from our Iota Beta chapter at Quincy University this week. Last year, the chapter raised thousands of dollars and touched the lives of many, many kids from their area. This is a wonderful event and a terrific way to celebrate Make A Difference Day.
Is your chapter planning an event for Make A Difference Day? If so, leave a comment or email us about it. We'd love to feature the great work your chapter is doing!
Quincy University’s sorority Phi Sigma Sigma is hosting their annual charity event, Princess for a Day on October 27, 2007; in the Quincy University Student Center from 9:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Princess for a Day is open to girls ages 4-10 years old. The cost of the event is $25.00 for the first child in the family and $20.00 for each child after that. Girls who are on the free and reduced lunch plan at school will receive a reduction in price.Princess for a Day will consist of lessons in manners, etiquette, and how to properly set a dinner table. When the girls arrive they will have their picture taken and later in the day they will make frames to put the pictures in. Girls are encouraged to dress up in princess costumes and dresses. The girls will also participate in dressing up the members of Phi Sigma Sigma as princesses. An etiquette luncheon is then served this is where the girls are able to practice all of the manners they have learned.
At the end of the day there is a graduation ceremony that parents are encouraged to attend. Each girl will be crowned a Princess, receive a certificate of completion, a tiara, and memories for a lifetime. Our chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma wants to make a difference in the lives of young women. We know that it can be tough growing up and we want to help make it a little easier. That is why we have devoted a day of fun and learning to the young girls in the community.
Phi Sigma Sigma hosts Princess for a Day as a part of Make a Difference Day, which is a “National Day of Doing Good”. The proceeds from Princess for a Day will be donated to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. Our foundation will then send it to our national philanthropy, The National Kidney Foundation. Phi Sigma Sigma wants to give all little girls a chance to be a “Princess for a Day”!
Everywhere you turn, on campus or in your community, you can find a Phi Sigma Sigma sister leading the way. Phi Sigma Sigma has taught our women to be community minded citizens who are truly living our core values and twin ideals.
Recently, Jeannie Sabaroff, an alumna from our Xi chapter at Temple University, was featured in the BG News for her leadership and vision for the Graduate Student Senate. You can read about Jeannie's efforts by visiting the BG News.
Do you know of other sisters who are living our values and leading their campus or community? If so, email us at foundation@phisigmasigma.org to tell us about her! She just may be the next sister featured!
The Foundation just learned that one of our collegiate sisters, Aubrey, from Iota Epsilon (IU-Kokomo) has joined Team Indiana for the 2008 Transplant Games in Pittsburgh. The Foundation is looking forward to cheering Aubrey on and we hope that you will join us to do the same!
The dates for the 2008 Transplant Games have been announced! The Games will take place July 11-16 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Foundation hopes that you will make plans now to join us in Pittsburgh for this truly touching and life changing sporting event. The 2006 Games were a blast and we have even more fun lined up for the 2008 Games. The Foundation will update our membership about the Games through email and at the Leadership Conferences. Stay tuned for additional information.
The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of two new directors, Stefanie Hutchison and Amy Keach, as well as the 2007-2009 Foundation officers.
Stefanie Hutchison (Gamma Xi, Widener University, 1991) has been a key Phi Sigma Sigma volunteer and has served the Fraternity and the Foundation in a number of areas, including chapter key advisor and Foundation Convention coordinator. She has also been a very active member of the Foundation special events committee, which she will now oversee as a director. In her professional life, Stefanie has a wide range of experience that will add further expertise to the Foundation board. She served as an admissions counselor at her alma mater, Widener University; worked in customer relations for AAMCO and a major hotel chain; and has a real estate license. Stefanie has planned philanthropic golf tournaments for the United Parcel Service and has served on a variety of committees at the Independence School, where her oldest son is enrolled. Stefanie and her husband have two sons and are currently planning their move to North Carolina later this month.
Amy Keach (Gamma Nu, Rutgers University New Brunswick, 1994) also comes to the Foundation with a wide variety of Phi Sigma Sigma experience that will further enhance the board's expertise. Since graduating from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Amy has held numerous volunteer roles. In addition to recently completing a term on Supreme Council as the director of alumnae, Amy has served the Fraternity as regional alumnae coordinator, division alumnae president, alumnae chapter archon, chapter key advisor and colony supervisor. Professionally, Amy is a certified project manager with a focus on interactive/online member relationship management. She currently works for a company that develops software products for the insurance industry. Amy volunteers as a member of the Rutgers Alumni Volunteer Information Network (RAVIN), Insurity Diversity Council and ChoicePoint Cares Committee. She also serves as a mentor at the Kinsella School. Amy lives with her husband in Connecticut.
In addition to the new director appointments, the Foundation board of directors is also pleased to present its officers for 2007-2009.
The Foundation looks forward to an exciting new year as we work toward our mission to generate funds for the educational and philanthropic activities of the Fraternity, encourage lifelong learning and engage in charitable endeavors.
Congratulations to Foundation Director Emeritus Dr. Diane Spatz who was recently recognized for her outstanding work at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in helping new mothers learn to breast feed. Diane is a lactation specialist and is the principal investigator of a study researching the breast feeding tendencies of low income women and whether check-ups every two weeks will encourage mothers to breast feed longer.
With classes and research papers just around the corner, the Foundation wanted to remind you that you can make a BIG difference by using GoodSearch.com to do your internet searching. Just this year, we have raised hundreds of dollars for the Foundation just because people are doing what they always do -- searching the internet!
August and September means thousands of Phi Sigma Sigma collegians heading back to campus for another successful academic year! For many of our campuses, recruitment also starts in August and September.
Did you know that the Foundation has created a comprehensive "Philanthropic Recruitment Guide" to help our chapters plan an outstanding event? To obtain this guide, please email the Foundation at foundation@phisigmasigma.org and include your name, position and chapter letters.
Good luck as the school year starts and good luck with your recruitment efforts!
Hello faithful blog readers! Kim Hildred, Foundation President, here.
Wow! We had an amazing convention in Orlando, Florida this summer! Not only did we get to have dinner with Minnie Mouse, but we elected new fraternity leadership, passed new organizational structure changes, heard about servant leadership from two outstanding alumnae (thank you Veachey Bloom and Claudia Abate!) and raised over $60,000 in donations and pledges for the Foundation! We were so fortunate to have one sister join the $1,913 Society and three sisters join the Centennial Club.
As you know, our Centennial birthday is fast approaching. To honor this milestone, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation established the Centennial Fund to underwrite specific educational events and activities related to our birthday. Centennial donors each commit to contribute $10,000 to this fund, payable by 2013. So far we have 24 sisters who have joined this forward thinking giving Club!
The $1,913 Society was established to support leadership programming like Achieve and other innovative values based programming opportunities.
One of the highlights of our Foundation dinner was awarding educational grants and scholarships to this year’s winners! Close to $30,000 was awarded to this year’s winners!
The Foundation is so fortunate to have wonderful donors and friends who deeply support our important work. Thank you to all of sisters, friends and NPC guests who joined us for the Foundation dinner. We are looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the 2008 Leadership Conferences. See you in Baltimore, Newark, Los Angeles, Chicago and Albany!
Wow! What a weekend! The 2007 Convention did not disappoint the hundreds of collegiate and alumnae sisters that were able to attend this year's Convention! The weekend was jam packed with fun, sisterhood and yes, business.
The Foundation wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate our new Supreme Council! These women are talented and dedicated volunteers. We are so grateful for their leadership!
We are especially excited to have two of our Foundation directors elected to Supreme Council. Congratulations Aggie and Pam!
We also owe a huge thank you to those sisters who completed their terms on SC - Josette George, Nicci Hollar, Cindy DeNormandie, Amy Keach and Erin Sweeney.
The weekend was also a huge success for the Foundation! Look for a post from Foundation President, Kim Hildred, who will reveal just how great a weekend it was! We are so fortunate to have amazing donors and friends of the Foundation.
Thank you to all of our sisters who joined us in Disney or read about it with us through the blog. We are looking forward to seeing you again soon at the Leadership Conferences and in 2009 in Norfolk, Virginia!
Tonight, at the Foundation banquet, we announced the 2007-2008 Scholarship and Educational Grant winners. We had many, many amazing applicants this year who were all very deserving of support.
This year we were able to award:
These awards totaled nearly $30,000 in educational assistance for our sisters. Of course, we can't award these amazing scholarships and grants without the help of our generous Foundation donors. Thank you to those sisters who support the Foundation and our scholarship funds!
This year's winners are:
Named Scholarships:
This is Veachey R. Bloom enjoying the 2007 National Convention of Phi Sigma Sigma. The spirit and the excitement that is exuded by the National Personnel sets the tone for the entire assembly. The undergraduates seem to be "right with it" and the spirit of camaraderie and enjoyment permeates the meetings and the fun time.
To see how Phi Sigma Sigma has developed since the early days when I was privileged to be a leader is an inspiration and a confirmation that the foundation we worked so hard to build and preserve was worth it.
The variety of women here, their talents, their vision, their humor and their hard work confirm my belief that to be a Phi Sig is one of the greatest experiences in my life.
Diokete Hupsala!
Hi All,
This is Lynn Coffey, advisor to the Iota Zeta chapter. The Phi Sigs are hot hot hot down here in Orlando. This moment at 10:45pm I am sitting by Amy Keach, personal jewelry designer to the stars, who is making several gorgeous bracelets for the upcoming foundation dinner raffle. My particular favorite is the bracelet with the Phi Sigma Sigma flip flop. You really got to see this piece of art.
The mood is jovial with lots of old friends reconnecting and new friendships forming. Today was a day of getting the word out about the nominating committee and the work of the Organizational Structure Task Force. After the informational sessions we walked the walk for Foundation. It was a good showing. And for the first time ever, we had the evening off to take in the Disney sites! And about $50 bucks later, I scored three visors for my kids! Ah yes the magic of Disney.
Chris Senseney, guest Foundation blogger, on the first day of Convention 2007 in Orlando, Florida.
Sisters from all over the US and Canada have been arriving today at the beautiful Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort. Registration for this exciting event involved a visit to multiple tables in a sunshiny lobby next to the pool. Everyone received beautiful Phi Sigma Sigma tote bags filled with their convention materials and schedules, and name tags included brightly colored ribbons which designated which community each sister is from.
The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation tables at registration were covered with beautiful gifts which will be auctioned and raffled off during the Foundation dinner on Friday night. Gathering special attention at that table were the lighted Phi Sigma Sigma crest crystal and the blue and gold "Sphinx" piggy bank.
Everyone was also encouraged to visit the Phi Sigma Sigma vendor area, which featured a number of our licensed vendors offering such items as jewelry, sportswear and composites. In addition, several of our alumnae chapters were present, selling shirts and collectible pins.
The opening session featured the community archons and members of the membership team decked out in Mickey Mouse ears. After they made introductions, a trivia quiz tested our knowledge of Phi Sigma Sigma, and those who answered questions correctly each received a set of Mickey ears!
The first set of workshops followed, giving everyone a chance to hear from the Nominating Committee and the Organizational Structure Task Force about the many issues that will be coming up in plenary sessions over the next few days.
When the workshops were over, it was time for the Foundation Walk, where sisters in letters walked through "Downtown Disney." When they returned, it was time for a BBQ dinner in the pool area, accompanied by tropical steel drum music. A special guest appearance was made by none other than Minnie Mouse, who happily posed for pictures with many of our sisters.
Greeting from the Foundation suite at Convention 2007!
This is Heather Kelley (Beta Psi), Foundation Director of Marketing... but tonight, I am Director of Crafting! I am helping the Grand Archons create gorgeous pin boxes - decorated by our celeb GAs - for auction Friday night at the Foundation dinner.
You would all be so impressed by the creativity of our fabulous Grand Archons and I'm sure these pin boxes will be highly sought after items during our auction.
My other favorite moments of the day include the Organizational Structure Task Force updates and taking part in the Foundation walk. I've loved being a part of the OSTF and the entire task force looks forward to formally presenting our report during plenary on Friday.
I also had a great time talking with some of our collegians during the Foundation walk - what a great excuse to chat while checking out the sites around our hotel... we're walking distance from Downtown Disney - a great hot spot.
Our first day of convention 2007 has been terrific and I can't wait until tomorrow!
LIOB,
HJK
In just five short days, hundreds of Phi Sigma Sigma sisters will gather for Convention in Orlando, Florida.
Want to know what is going on but can't join us this year? No problem! The Foundation will post messages and pictures on the blog every day during Convention. Check back often as we will update the blog frequently!
Greetings from Nancy Hay (Nash) at HQ in Elkridge, MD. I arrived this morning to begin training for my new position as Executive Director of the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation.
Kim Hildred, Foundation President, Katie Herschede, Foundation Director, and Michele Dominiak, friend of the Foundation, were here to greet me and introduce me to the area.
In addition to learning about the job, we prepared and packed materials for our upcoming Convention, "Celebrating the Magic of Sisterhood," in Orlando from July 26 to 29. We are going to have a great time at the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort.
I am really looking forward to seeing all of you there and working with you during the year.
See you soon,
Nash
The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation board of directors is pleased to announce its new Executive Director Nancy "Nash" Hay (Beta Rho, Drexel University). Nash is well known to sisters everywhere for her passion for and long-standing dedication to Phi Sigma Sigma.
In just a few short weeks, hundreds of sisters from all over North America will attend Phi Sigma Sigma's Convention in Orlando, Florida.
Not able to make it, but want to feel like you are there (minus the 100+ degree temperatures)?!? No problem! The Foundation will be blogging from Convention and posting pictures daily. If you can't make it this year, catch the spirit of Convention here!
Stay tuned for more details!
Talk about being up to date in technology! Phi Sigma Sigma just launched our first electronic edition of the Sphinx! As you may know, the Sphinx was first published in 1922 and has been a main stay for our sisterhood and the definitive publication to get all of your Phi Sigma Sigma news.
Congratulations to our sisters at Chapman University who recently won a number of outstanding awards. Please join the Foundation in congratulating Epsilon Delta on the following distinctions:
Way to Aim High! Want to learn more about the Epsilon Delta chapter? If so, you can visit their website at http://www.chapmanphisig.com/.
So many of our chapters have been recognized for outstanding efforts on their campus. The Foundation is looking forward to an equally great Fall semester! Thank you to our collegians for your hard work for the 2006-2007 academic year!
As you know, the Foundation has been committed to helping those with kidney disease and kidney related illnesses for more than 30 years. A year ago this month, we took that mission to a new level of commitment through our sponsorship of the NKF Transplant Games. We heard from sisters all over the world about how the Foundation and our philanthropic work has affected them personally.
Just recently, we received this letter from a sister which is another reminder of the reach of kidney disease.
To the Sisters of Phi Sigma Sigma,
I joined Phi Sigma Sigma in the spring of my freshman year for many reasons, reasons I am certain I share with others: to become involved on campus, to join an amazing group of women, to find a family away from home.
I also was intrigued when I learned that we donated money to the National Kidney Foundation because this cause is very close to my heart. A while back my mom was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, a progressive illness, at the time she was okay, and she was okay for years.
Years later this disease has decreased her kidney function so much that her health has been compromised. She was told by her doctor to look for a kidney donor. Our family was willing to help her, myself included, but we could not change our genetics and being that our blood types did not match we would have to look outside the family, perhaps even outside the people we knew and find a generous stranger to donate...
I am writing this in hopes that someone can help my mom, a sister I never met that is a sister nonetheless. My mom is O blood type, and if you are too, please consider helping my mom.
LITP
Does your chapter participate in a "Princess for a Day" event? If so, we want to hear about it! What do you do to make your event unique and successful? What are the keys to creating a great community-driven and involved event.
Leave your ideas here as a "comment" or email us at foundation@phisigmasigma.org.
From Kim Hildred – Foundation President
Greetings everyone! I can’t believe the summer is almost here and we will soon be seeing many of our alumnae and collegians in July, at our Convention in Orlando.
The Foundation Board of Directors met this weekend near our Headquarters in Elkridge, Maryland, where we had a most productive meeting. I thought our faithful blog readers might be interested in hearing about our meeting.
There are a number of exciting projects on the horizon. Heather Knuth (Pi alumna, Pyramid Award winner, and Epsilon Nu CKA), an amazing graphic designer, joined us on Saturday afternoon to unveil a new branding campaign, or a new look for the Foundation to use in our publications and Web site, for the Foundation. Her designs were amazing and we are looking forward to debuting our new look in the coming months!
We also discussed our plans for Convention. We are busily preparing for the Foundation Walk and Foundation Dinner on Friday night and of course are excited to host another successful auction to benefit the work of the Foundation. Get ready for lots of fun!
Fundraising, strategic planning, scholarships, leadership programming, the Transplant Games and technology were also on our agenda. We learned that thousands of sisters from all over the world have visited both our website (http://www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org/) and blog! Thank you to all of our loyal visitors!
We had a very successful meeting and are looking forward to seeing everyone at Convention!
Congratulations to Lisette (initiated at Epsilon Epsilon, California State University Bakersfield and now active in the Iota Gamma chapter) and Laurissa (Iota Gamma, California State University Dominguez Hills) who received scholarships from the South Bay Alumnae Panhellenic Alumnae Association. What a wonderful way to end the semester!
Congratulations to Lisette and Laurissa, and all of our sisters, who received a scholarship this year. Stay tuned as the Foundation will announce the recipients of our scholarships in late July at Convention 2007 in Orlando, Florida. All winners will be posted on the blog and on our website at www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org.
Did you know that you can make a donation to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation online?!? It's easy! Visit our website at https://www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org/donate-form.htm -- it takes less than one minute to make a tangible difference in the lives of our chapters and those with kidney disease. Take a minute and check it out. You'll see just how easy it really is!
Congratulations to our sisters from all over North America who will graduate with their undergraduate or graduate degree this spring or summer! The Foundation is so very proud of you.
The Spring edition of the Foundation's bi-annual newsletter, Legacy, is now available online! CLICK HERE to view it.
This edition includes information on the Transplant Games, a sister who is exemplifying our Twin Ideals and the Annual Appeal. Don't miss out...read it today!
Congratulations to the sisters of Zeta Omicron who recently won the following awards at their Greek Awards Recognition Ceremony:
Thank you to the Theta Mu chapter at California State University Stanislaus who sent in information about their recent "Easter Egg Hunt." This was a wonderful community driven event held on their campus.
The chapter even made the Turlock paper! Click here to read the article!
Theta Mu's archon, Laura, and philanthropy chair, Catalina, wrote in with the following description:
It was that time of year again as the flowers bloom, the trees bud and birds sing! It was a perfect opportunity for festivities and celebrations, especially Easter, which just passed. It was a blast it was for the Theta Mu chapter at California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock, CA, which had the pleasure of putting on a very highly successful annual community Easter Egg Hunt on April 7.
The Theta Mu chapter organized a fun day of activities and food to celebrate the Easter season. To publicize this event we utilized radio stations, as well as placing articles in local newspapers, and going to area schools and posting flyers to generate a great turnout. Our efforts became evident on that Saturday morning with over 500 community members in attendance!
Kids enjoying face painting, peep coloring, a bounce house and pin the tail on the bunny. By 12:00 noon when the hunt was about to begin, many more families had arrived to participate. It wasn’t even time for the hunt before we sold out of lunch items, raising over $400 in profit. Of that profit we donated $290 to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation which helps support the National Kidney Foundation.
The hunt was a huge success with over 1,500 eggs found in less than 10 minutes! There were also three golden eggs, one for each age level, for which the winner received a gift basket. After the hunt, we had what is known as “egg investment,” in which we provide the opportunity for children to turn in their eggs for candy. At the end of the hunt, many families continued enjoying their lunch and time relaxing underneath the shade.
To prepare for this event, we put in many hours to help provide an opportunity for community members to bring out their children to enjoy the good weather, have a hot dog or two and enjoy hunting for eggs. We have done this continuously for the last 10 years and will continue doing this for years to come, as the community truly appreciates our efforts.
Thank you to our Las Vegas Alumnae Chapter sisters for the following idea! If you'd like more information, you can visit the United States Postal Service website at http://www.usps.com/communications/community/fooddrive.htm or the Help Stamp Out Hunger Website at http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/.
Dear Sisters,
The Las Vegas Alumnae Chapter invites you to take part in a philanthropy WITHOUT an event. In case you haven't seen our phrase "POST" before, it stands for something the Las Vegas Alumnae Chapter invented: Philanthropic Opportunity Separate, yet Together!
Alumnae often WANT to do more philanthropies, but just cannot make it to physical events. So what we do is look for events around town (or even the country) that every alum can take part in wherever she lives. This is one of them (coat and blanket drives in the fall are another).
The U.S. Postal Service Canned Food Drive will be Saturday, May 12. All you need to do is take a few of those extra cans or boxes of food from your closet, put them in a bag, and place them near your mailbox on Saturday, May 12. That's it. You will also be getting a postcard from the post office as a reminder with recommendations - no glass containers, for example.
Food is given to a local food pantry WHEREVER you live. It is an easy event that everyone can take part in - we invite you to share this with your members!
Thanks with love,
The Las Vegas Alumnae Chapter
Congratulations to our Delta Chi chapter who tonight were recognized for the following accomplishments:
Congratulations to our Zeta Pi sisters who won the following awards at the Greek Awards Banquet last night:
Congratulations and thank you for aiming higher!
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