Epsilon Rho is Making A Difference!

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!

Thank you to all of our sisters who took the opportunity to participate in Make a Difference Day - an international day of service!

Exciting Times at Delta Iota

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!

Now that you've been inspired by the phenomenal success at Delta Iota, we'd like to encourage you to pen your own email to the Foundation to tell us all about your philanthropic spirit! You can reach us at foundation@phisigmasigma.org!

Happy Founders' Day!

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

Just in time for the Holidays...Now you can GoodShop and GoodSearch!

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:

• How does it work?
  Simply go to www.goodsearch.com and click on the GoodShop link or go to www.goodshop.com. In the “Who do you GoodSearch for” box, choose from one of the thousands of charities and schools already listed in our database or add your favorite cause to our list. Next, click through to our partner retailers and start shopping! A percentage of your purchase will go to your favorite charity or school.

• 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.

Happy shopping!

Baltimore and Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapters Celebrate Founders' Day

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

Delta Sigma Participates in NKF Walk

The good news keeps coming! Thank you to the Delta Sigma chapter at SUNY Brockport who wrote to tell us about their experience at the National Kidney Foundation Walk in Rochester, New York.

Katie, the chapter's philanthropy and service chair, wrote to tell us,

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!

Thank you to the sisters of Delta Sigma and all of our sisters who always "Aim High!"

Zeta Delta and Gamma Iota Make Strides Against Breast Cancer!

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.

Miriam, a sister from Zeta Delta wrote to tell us about their day. She wrote,

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.

Congratulations on your outstanding support of the American Cancer Society! With more than a hundred chapters throughout North America, Phi Sigma Sigma sisters are making a difference in hundreds of communities. In addition to supporting the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation generously, many chapters choose to contribute their time and talents to important local needs.

Do you have a great story to share? If so, email us at foundation@phisigmasigma.org!

Happy Birthday...to our Fabulous Blog!

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.

Did you know, in our first year...

• We have had over 5,000 hits?
• People have visited our site from 43 different countries?
• Hits from 48 states have been recorded?
• This is the 79th post, meaning we have averaged about 1.5 new posts a week?

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!

Make A Difference...This Saturday!

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!

Foundation Announces Founders' Day Campaign to Benefit the 2008 Transplant Games!

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!

Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter and Beta Upsilon Support the National Kidney Foundation!

Our very own Kim Hildred, Past Grand Archon and Foundation President, and Judith Distler, Past Grand Archon and Foundation Director, walked this past weekend in the National Kidney Foundation Walk in Washington, DC. Kim and Judith were joined by sisters from the NOVA Alumnae Chapter and Beta Upsilon (American University) sisters. Kim wrote the following post to tell us about their adventures.

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!

Foundation Director Heather Kelley Conquers Philadelphia 3-Day!

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.

Xi Chapter Volunteers at MS 150 Bike Tour!

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!

Thank you to the Xi Chapter from Temple University who wrote to the Foundation to tell us about their wonderful service project!

Diane, Xi Chapter Key Advisor, wrote

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.

You can see more pictures of the chapter in action by visiting this site: http://www.ms150biketour.org/citytoshore/galleries/CTSSUN07B/.

Successful Rock-A-Thon at Zeta Zeta!

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!

Karolyn, Zeta Zeta Archon, wrote to tell us about it.

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.

Make A Difference Day | Saturday, October 27, 2007

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!

This year, we want YOU in on the action. We are calling all collegiate chapters, alumnae chapters and even just group of sisters and friends to help make this one of the biggest Make A Difference Day events for Phi Sigma Sigma!

To help you get started, the Foundation has created a step-by-step guide to choosing the right project. You can access our guide by clicking here. You can also get more information by visiting our website at http://www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org/ and clicking on "Awesome Ideas" and then "Service."

After you complete your project, be sure to tell us about it by leaving a comment on the blog or by emailing us at foundation@phisigmasigma.org. We will be featuring chapters for their awesome work on our blog and website to be sure to pass along your information so we can feature YOU!

To learn more about Make A Difference Day, visit their official website by clicking here.