Delta Zeta, Phi Mu members embrace philanthropy through bone marrow drive, candy counting contest
Delta Zeta: 'Sweet Caroline'
"They started a bone marrow drive and, at first, they just wanted to find Caroline a match," said Erica Barnes, a fourth-year hospitality and retail management student. "It ended up being a huge success, though."
While that first drive in February 2005 was successful, a match could not be found for Terry, who passed away in August 2005. Her legacy lives on, however, through Delta Zeta's annual Sweet Caroline Bone Marrow and Blood Drive, taking place Thursday in the Capstone Campus Room.
"We've registered over 300 new members to the 'Be the Match Marrow' registry so far," said Kristen Arnall, Delta Zeta's Greek Relations Chair and a third-year early childhood education student. "Every year it keeps getting bigger."
This is a large increase from last year, when the drive had 204 registrants, according to Barnes, the drive's co-chair.
This year's drive has also seen the addition of a new component: fundraising for Be the Match Foundation.
"Each blood marrow packet costs the registry about $100," Barnes said. "We want to try to reduce the cost to them so it makes it easier to add people to the registry."
Delta Zeta held a percent night benefiting Be the Match Wednesday night at Cantina 76, where the sorority will hold another percent night Tuesday.
In addition to working with Be the Match, Delta Zeta is also partnering with the American Red Cross for the blood donation component of the drive.
"We added the blood drive a few years ago, and we work with the Red Cross every year," Barnes said.
While members will be added to the blood marrow registry in the Capstone Campus Room, blood donations will be taken both in Capstone House and in front of the Thomas Cooper Library.
In addition to blood and new Be the Match members, Delta Zeta hopes to raise awareness about the importance of registering to be a blood donor. Members will be passing out stickers and promoting the drive on Greene Street today and Thursday.
Phi Mu: 'Count the Candy Hearts'
Sporting bright pink jerseys emblazoned with Phi Mu's letters, some girls stood with cans asking passersby for donations, while others flanked the container of candies, collecting a dollar for each guess of the number of hearts in the jar.
"We're trying to raise money for our philanthropy, Children's Miracle Network, especially now that it's close to Dance Marathon," said Tayler Manchester, a second-year public relations student and the chapter's philanthropy chair.
In keeping with the contest's Valentine's Day theme, the person who guesses the number closest to the actual number of candy hearts in the jar will win a night out for two.
"The winner will get an American Express gift card, and we've made reservations at local restaurants like the Melting Pot and California Dreaming for Valentine's Day," Manchester said.
The higher-quality restaurants are an added draw to the competition.
"We try to get really good restaurants that people wouldn't usually go to unless they had a gift card," said Sarah Davis, a second-year political science student and the chapter's public relations chairwoman.
The contest has taken place for the past two years, as long as Phi Mu has been active on campus, according to Manchester.
"It gets more successful every year," Davis said.