YOU can honor our Founders TODAY!

Three years ago, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation premiered its first Founders' Day e-mail campaign to commemorate the Founders of Phi Sigma Sigma by raising funds to advance the values they gave us through the creation of Phi Sigma Sigma; the advancement of womanhood and our twin ideals - the brotherhood of man and alleviation of the world's pain.

Funds raised this year will be dedicated to educational grants for deserving sisters in need, leadership programming for our emerging leaders and help for those with kidney disease.

We can't wait to add your name to your chapter's honor roll as we commemorate the work of our Founders and the lasting legacy they gave to all of us. 

Thank you for choosing to give your gift now.  You can donate by visiting http://www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org/foundersdayappeal.htm. 

We Have Found Your Place In Phi Sig history

Dear Sisters,

Every November 26, our sisters celebrate Founders' Day, a commemoration of the birth of Phi Sigma Sigma in 1913. While that reminds us of women like Fay Chertkoff, Lillian Gordon Alpern, and Estelle Melnick Cole, there's another name that belongs right alongside theirs ...
             ... yours.

            Because in a very real sense, alumnae are "founders" our future. And the Foundation is where we express the vision and values of our sisterhood that go beyond mere friendship. Through the Foundation, we provide meaningful support for lifelong learning, education and scholarship, service, leadership, philanthropy.

            As a founder of tomorrow, you forever change who we are.

            Your place in history, though perhaps it may be less well known, is certainly no less important than that of Fay or Lillian or Estelle.

            Please let us know you're still committed to advancing womanhood and our Twin Ideals. Accept a place of honor alongside donors to the 2010 Founders' Day campaign. As you may know, gifts to this annual effort are tax-deductible and pay for educational and leadership development impacting collegiate and alumnae sisters across the U.S. and Canada. 

            Last year, many  alumnae took part with gifts of $19.13 to $1,913 - and everywhere in between. Your contribution is tax-deductible.
          
            As we walk the road to Phi Sigma Sigma's 2013 Centennial, let us embrace our role as founders of the future. And with loyalty, generosity, and friendship, let's provide more  sisters with every opportunity for personal growth, intellectual development, and selfless giving along the way.
      
                                                           
Loyally,

Katie Herschede
Foundation President 

P.S.    On November 26, 1913, Phi Sigma Sigma became the first nonsectarian sorority, the only one founded upon the principle of diverse membership based on a woman's character, not her background. Thank you for joining me today in generous support of this cherished legacy with your gift to the 2010 Founders' Day Campaign!


                     Click here to join the Founder's Day Campaign 

The Transplant Games and the Ripple

Three months after the Transplant Games and we continue to see the effects of the Foundation's sponsorhip. Turner Prewitt writes: "I am the gentleman in the picture….Your girls were great at the US Transplant Games 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin …I am a Greek, Phi Kappa Sigma At The University of Washington…class of 1976.  I had my heart transplant on 8/3/2008…..The girls at the exhibition hall were very supportive and even livened things up by singing their sorority song…we got a lot of attention….."  To see the full story, visit:  http://uwnews.org/uweek/article.aspx?visitsource=uwkmail&id=60779

Harry Potter and a Past GA?!?

You read that right! In the middle of Universal Studios in Florida, two Gamma Zeta collegians found Past Grand Archon and Foundation Director Judith Distler and past Supreme Council officer Ellen Smith. You never know where you'll bump into a Phi Sig!

PHILANTHROPIC RECRUITMENT TOOLS for Collegiate Chapters

ATTENTION, PHI SIGMA SIGMA COLLEGIANS!

See the convenient links below to access PHOTOS, VIDEOS and INFORMATION about the 2010 U.S. Transplant Games and the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation's support of them. Perfect for use during your philanthropic recruitment events. (Watch for a special e-mail sent to your chapter to assist in highlighting Phi Sig's sponsorship of the Games to help you when promoting it to top recruits!)

• Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation Video

• Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation Photos 

• U.S. Transplant Games Video

• U.S. Transplant Games Photos

Thank you, Foundation donors! From our Transplant Games volunteers...

WHILE AT THE GAMES, WE ASKED SISTERS TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS to share some of their observations about the event on notecards to Foundation donors. Having had a chance to review them, here are some of our favorites:

This was my first year volunteering for the National Kidney Foundation’s Transplant Games. I didn’t know what I would find when I got here, but the people I met and the stories I’ve heard will stay with me for the rest of my life. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this experience and to donate my time to something as amazing as the Transplant Games. I hope to be able to volunteer for this event again in the future.
     ~ Nicole M. Trombley, Collegiate Volunteer, Epsilon Beta Chapter at Ferris State University

Thank you for your donations! Being at the Transplant Games has been life-changing, and your donations helped make the event possible. I was able to connect with a transplant recipient at the swimming event. During the Opening Ceremony, I saw how far and wide the effects of organ donations and transplants really are. I hope that I will be able to spread the word and encourage others to learn about all the things that the NKF and Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation do. Thank you so much for making this possible.

     ~ Shannon Walsh, Collegiate Volunteer, Iota Zeta Chapter at University of Minnesota - Duluth

For me, being able to travel to Wisconsin to show my support for the National Kidney Foundation has truly been life-altering. I have met some of the most amazing people here and have shared in an experience that is unique. Remembering these individual stories still gives me chills, and I feel so blessed to be here and to be able to go back home to Kentucky to share what I’ve learned. I love what this has done for me! This is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am so proud Phi Sig brought me to share this experience…. My chapter will get to share in my knowledge. Thank you!
     ~ Rebecca Peak, Collegiate Volunteer, Gamma Tau Chapter at Northern Kentucky University

Your donation not only helped the athletes competing, but helped me personally make the realization that in everyday life, so many people have had transplants. It was such an eye-opener today, seeing athletes compete at a level that I didn’t realize transplant recipients could. They may be different on the inside, but they are all like me on the outside. Thank you so much! 
     ~ Anonymous Collegiate Volunteer, Iota Zeta Chapter at University of Minnesota - Duluth

This is the second time I have volunteered to help with the Transplant Games, and it is something I would love to continue doing even after I finish college. The stories that have been shared with me truly show why we (Phi Sig) do what we do, and it helps to put things in perspective. I consider myself very lucky and privileged to have been a part of this. It was truly a blessed experience.
     ~ Megan Wiggins, Collegiate Volunteer, Gamma Tau Chapter at Northern Kentucky University

Thank you so much! The Transplant Games have been a wonderful experience for me and my sisters. I am incredibly lucky that I have had the opportunity to come and help out. I felt like the donors and recipients really made this event magical! I hope I am able to come to more Games in the future.
     ~ Anonymous Collegiate Volunteer

Frequently Asked Question: Where will the 2012 Transplant Games be located?

QUICK ANSWER TO A COMMON QUESTION we're getting about future sites of the U.S. Transplant Games:

The Foundation has sponsored the Games in Louisville (2006), Pittsburgh (2008) and now Madison (2010).... So where are the next Games scheduled to be in 2012?

We contacted the NKF's public relations people, and they told us today that the final location has not yet been decided. Most likely, when it's announced, you'll see it on the Transplant Games' Facebook fan page. So if you're interested in keeping track, sign up - because that's one of the first places you'll see the information posted.

Otherwise, check back here.... We'll update sisters as soon as we have information to share.

2010 Transplant Games video has just been released!

WHETHER YOU WERE A VOLUNTEER IN MADISON or one of the thousands of sisters cheering from the sidelines at home, Phi Sigma Sigmas are sure to love this heart-warming video from the 2010 U.S. Transplant Games!

See the Opening Ceremony, clips from the different athletic competitions and even Phi Sig's own AUBREY BIRDEN (gold and bronze medalist) at timecode 1:51!

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO!

What impact did we have? Read THIS!

FROM: Foundation President Katie Herschede
TO: Phi Sigma Sigma sisters

WOW! Here's a comment I just saw on one of our blog entries. I think it sums up our impact pretty darn well! Excellent work, everyone!

P.S. Jim has posted information about his life's perspective and heart transplant on his own blog. Check it out to see other pics of him, and his observations, at the 2010 Games!

---------------------------------------------------

Posted: Aug. 16, 2010, 10:35 a.m.

Ladies, you were all AWESOME! Every place I turned, there were members of your team running off or coming back from some supporting activity. 

Jim Gleason - Phi Sig fan and
recipient of a silver medal!

From this heart recipient (on behalf of everyone there at the Games), "Thank you!" for all your support. I can only dream of what impact there would be on organ donation if other groups such as yours took on this wonderful life-saving cause.

Keep up the great work and see you again in 2012 somewhere at the next Games!

Jim Gleason
Heart transplant 10/19/94 and U.S. Transplant Games athlete
Silver medal winner in the men's badminton competition, ages 60-69

A Phi Sig living donor story: Gretchen Ehle's experience at the Games

By Gretchen Ehle
Games Athlete (Living Donor) and Sister of Kappa Chapter - The George Washington University

Gretchen Ehle

HELLO TO ALL MY PHI SIG SISTERS! I attended this year’s Transplant Games as a proud member of both Phi Sigma Sigma and Team Nation’s Capital.

This was my second time attending the Games - and it was, again, fantastic, though different than Pittsburgh. This year, they allowed living donors to participate in a couple of events. (I donated a kidney to my dad - and the Games have been an important part of our lives ever since, though he couldn't attend this time.) It’s been awhile since I’ve run a 100-yard dash or done a long jump, but I do play in 3 softball leagues, and so that softball toss was right up my alley, I was sure to win a medal! Or so I thought! ... Turns out, I was beat by 4 people who were, let’s say, decades older than me. That’s OK! More motivation to train and try harder next year!

Allowing the living donors to participate this year was a great experience, because it made us feel more a part of the "team" – and we’re hoping that in 2 years (wherever the Games may be) we will be allowed to participate in more events! I’m hoping for ballroom dancing, and my dad and me getting down to "The Hustle!" 

Gretchen at the Opening Ceremony
with Team Nation's Capital.

I’m always truly inspired at the Games, and this year I had the pleasure of being on Team Nation’s Capital with 2 amazing individuals who were anonymous donors. Transplantation has come so far over the past several years, but what has really developed is the heightened awareness of those living on transplant lists, and more importantly the altruistic nature of Americans in anonymously donating.  I am continually inspired by the stories that I hear and that are shared at the Games, and I can’t wait to attend with my Phi Sig sisters in 2 years (hopefully we will know soon where the games will be!).

With all my love,

Gretchen

I may have won GOLD and BRONZE medals - but Phi Sig sisters at the Games won my heart!

By Aubrey Birden
Games Athlete and Sister of Iota Epsilon - Indiana University at Kokomo; Winner of Gold and Bronze medals (cycling and bowling, respectively)

Hello, Phi Sigs! Oh, my goodness.... The 2010 National Kidney Foundation Transplant Games in Madison Wisconsin were so amazing! It was so great to see all my fellow Phi Sig sisters there volunteering their time and effort. As a transplant recipient and athlete, it was especially meaningful to see my sisters there to show their love and support! :)

I did pretty well this year - and I am very surprised (LOL), but I won GOLD in cycling and BRONZE in bowling! Yay! And the bowling was so close, I was only 10 pins away from gold; those girls were good!

The best part about the Games, as always, was getting to know other transplant recipients and making new friends. Plus, seeing the donor families, who lost loved ones, was so heart-warming.... Their strength empowers me to continue my advocacy to raise awareness for needed organs.

This year, both my mom and dad (my donor) got to come along! It was their first time, and they had so much fun. On Aug. 12, Dad and I will be celebrating the 17-year anniversary of our healthy kidney transplant! Here's to the next 17 years!

Aubrey with parents
Ron and Diana Birden

Thank you so much to all my sisters who came, those who supported me from afar, and of course to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. All of your love and fundraising efforts help benefit the National Kidney Foundation in so many ways! Many people (over 100,000) are still waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Sign up to be a donor, and you could ultimately impact up to 150 people’s lives! Isn't that amazing?

Phi Sigma Sigma means so much to me - not just as a sister, leader and volunteer, but as a person. I know that our proclamation of "Once a Phi Sigma Sigma, Always a Phi Sigma Sigma" rings true not only in my heart, but in the heart and soul of every sister I have had the opportunity to meet, as well as those I haven't yet met.

Thank you, again, for all who attended the Games or rooted for the athletes! You DO made a difference and have an enormous impact on raising awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation in America.

Love you so much, sisters! PSLAM!

THANK YOU to all my Phi Sig sisters for volunteering and making this such a great experience...

By Missy Spishak
Transplant Games Coordinator
Zeta Kappa - University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

OK, PHI SIGS: As we wrap up another successful Games season and our blogging efforts, I WANT TO THANK EVERY SINGLE SISTER who donated her time to the Games! 

Many traveled far to volunteer (nearly coast to coast), and everyone gave a tremendous amount of time and energy to make this a wonderful event for the athletes, their families and the donor families.

We even had some guests who worked extremely hard at the Games alongside the sisters! Special thanks to our guys Jon Barrows and Steve Roberts, and also to Shannon Salisbury who took the road trip with Danni Pascuma to attend.

I also have to thank the amazing committee who helped pull off organizing our 80+ volunteers and keeping me well-caffeinated throughout the weekend (see me with Starbucks in most pictures). Thanks to Jessie Stapleton, Gretchen Ehle, Tara Ervin, Jess Berner and Kelly Chirumbolo, and also special thanks to Foundation President Katie Herschede, Vice President Marianne Cohen and Director Pam Downey (also our GA!) who pitched in just as hard as everyone else to make this a huge success.

Additionally, thanks to the NKF staff for working with us the entire weekend, and to the Hilton staff (including our favorite guy, Dave, who could be found carrying box after box to the Foundation suite). Thanks, too, to Grand Vice Archon Alicia Scott for baking some awesome cookies and having them shipped in the Dora the Explorer pull-ups box. They were definitely yummy! And let's not forget our sister Lisa Romero for helping to bring our voices from the Games to you via this blogging channel.

Every single person who pitched in was appreciated, and I hope everyone had an incredible, life-changing experience! See you in two years - destination still to be determined, but we will let you know ASAP!

More reunions, more Games, more Phi Sig love for athletes and this incredible experience!

By Missy Spishak
Transplant Games Coordinator
Zeta Kappa - University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Missy with Junior Whopper
(front left) and friends

Here's a continuation of my adventures at the Games: Later Sunday night, Phi Sigs headed to 3-on-3 basketball. This is definitely a favorite event for all! There were even more reunions for me at this event, as I was FINALLY able to track down my buddy Junior Whopper from Team Philadelphia. I first met Michael Snyder - who declared to all that he was "Junior Whopper" in Pittsburgh - and I have not forgotten how incredible he was. Michael received his mom's kidney when he was nearly 2, and then after having complications and his body rejecting the kidney, he received a second kidney at age 6. Today, he is doing great and has definitely become a serious little basketball player at the age of 9!

This year, I got to meet his big brother Steve and his dad. This family is just full of life, and they love watching Michael compete in the Games. The family told me Michael has his own website, so if you would like to read his full story you can go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelsnyder.  I got to take my picture with Michael and his teammate Louie (his mom says they're two peas in a pod), as well as Kayla who is also on Team Philly (the boys call her the "assistant coach") and big brother Steve. Good luck to Junior Whopper in the basketball finals!

Jon Hochstein (center) and his Phi Sig fans,
including Gretchen Ehle (far right) a team member
who donated her kidney to her father

As the night was wrapping up, I was able to finally sit down with the Hochstein family and Gretchen Ehle to cheer on the Nation's Capital team in basketball. Jon Hochstein was awesome on the courts! Nation's Capital won and gets to move on the the final rounds. Good luck!

Everywhere I went at these events I heard over and over how thankful people were that the Phi Sigma Sigma women were there supporting the athletes and making memories with the families. It was such an incredible feeling knowing we make such an impression and that they look forward to seeing us at the Games.

I met so many wonderful people! I can't list them all, but every single one of them has now earned a special place in my life: from the tiny Junior Whopper to Jose Zaragoza and his family to members of Team Pittsburgh whom I met and discovered we were co-workers at one point! I have come home with so many stories and new connections that I will never lose. This is exactly why I volunteer at these Games!

I traveled to the wonderful state of Wisconsin not for the cheese curds (which a few can attest that I ate ALOT of cheese curds), but for the athletes and the families and the celebration of life and giving. This event has changed my life in so many ways, and I am looking forward to finding more ways to keep the spirit of the Games alive in me. Just telling my stories to a friend today has made her decide to check the box to donate her organs. I will donate my organs, will you?

Sisterhood at the Games: Meeting an athlete from another sorority, and learning from her incredible experience...

By Coree Pierce
Collegiate Volunteer
Epsilon Epsilon - California State University, Bakersfield


GOING TO THE TRANSPLANT GAMES was a very unique and amazing experience for me! In fact, my favorite part of the weekend was talking to all of the wonderful people and hearing their stories.

Sara Castro (center), flanked by Phi Sig sisters
Coree Pierce and Madison Wood (L-R).

On Saturday, Madison Wood (also an Epsilon Epsilon sister) and I were spending some time at the Foundation Expo when we were approached by the mother of an athlete. She noticed we were in a sorority and told us that her daughter was in one, too. She introduced us to Sara Castro a few minutes later.

Sara is currently attending California State University, Los Angeles, and is a member of Alpha Theta Pi (one of the oldest sororities on that campus). Nearly 19 years ago, she received a heart transplant when she was 5 weeks old at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

She told us she doesn't let her transplant hold her back, and she enjoys going to the Transplant Games. We want to wish her the best of luck in everything! It was very fun and inspiring to have the opportunity to meet Sara and the others participating in the Transplant Games. I really hope that I am able to attend the Games in 2012 - wherever they may be.

SUCH a WHIRLWIND! Unpacking some great experiences from the Games...

By Missy Spishak
Transplant Games Coordinator
Zeta Kappa - University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

The Greller Clan

BY TODAY, TUESDAY, THE PHI SIG VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALL LEFT MADISON, where we had an incredible time getting to know the athletes and the donor families. I am finally able to sit down, reflect and relive some of the moments I had during the Games, and I can't wait to share them all with you. (In fact, I'll have to break this entry into two! More to enjoy later!) 

After running the 5K with my sisters Saturday morning (I finished in 31 minutes and placed 36th of 180 in my age category - very exciting for a non-runner like myself), I went to the swimming events. I was super excited to find the GRELLER FAMILY, whom I had met two years ago in Pittsburgh. And guess what! They were hunting to find me among the Phi Sigs! I loved being reunited with John Greller, a kidney and pancreas recipient, and his son Brian, who donated his kidney to John - and I enjoyed seeing Brian's two brothers, sister and the rest of the clan. John won two gold medals and a silver in the swimming events, and it was such a joy to see how well he is doing and to share in the celebration with him and his whole family.

The Zaragozas at Opening Ceremony

Then I was off to Team Tailgate and the Opening Ceremony. The ceremony itself starts out as a big party where Games athletes from across the country parade in to cheers and non-stop clapping! We got to see the athletes and families we met throughout our time at the Expo marching in with their teams.

My first moment of raw emotion was when the ZARAGOZA FAMILY (Marianne Cohen and I first met this family at the Expo) saw me standing there taking pictures.... Jose Zaragoza, who lost his son Matthew at the age of 16 only five years ago, walked over and gave me a huge hug and thanked me for being there and supporting the Games. Yep, I cried for the first time that night! The rest of the ceremony was a wonderful celebration of life and giving. 

Joseph Lackey in 2008 and 2010 (L-R).

Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early to find my Phi Sig sisters working hard at the water station for cycling. I enjoyed hanging out with them until the lake mosquitoes started attacking me (!), so I was off to swimming events again! This time at swimming, I found a little boy we Phi Sigs fell in love with last time: JOSEPH LACKEY, who was photographed two years ago in Pittsburgh with "Eat my Bubbles" on his back. This time, his message was "Follow Me to the Wall"!  I got to talk to his mom Sheila, and found out this amazing little guy was from Team Alabama; he had his kidney transplant at age 2. He's now 10 and doing amazing! His 17-year-old sister Katie was there cheering him on, and she even danced with him on Friday night in the ballroom competition. Hearing Katie cheering in her southern accent for her little brother was such a sweet moment for me. I can't wait to see what Joseph has written on his back in two years when he goes for the gold again in swimming!

More to come soon! We're nowhere close to done blogging about this amazing experience! Watch for updates all week - as the Games do not conclude until Wednesday. But, as you can already tell, the impact on us (and, we hope, all of you) will last a lifetime - all thanks to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation!