I am very excited to report that as a team, we are much closer to our fundraising goal: We now have over $650! My grandbig, Liz announced our project at the Omega Gamma alumnae meeting this month, and our team website went out in the minutes. I hope that from this we can raise some more interest from our alumnae, both Alpha Zeta and other chapters around. Already, Liz and another Alpha Zeta alum, Jessica, have donated to our team’s page! I am very excited because my big, Kelly, and Liz are both planning on attending Light the Night. Hopefully both my littles will be able to come as well. It would be so awesome for my whole family to be there! (On a side note, last night we had a family dinner at a restaurant in Marietta! Unfortunately, Liz could not come because she came down with a cold, but the rest of us were there, and we had a great time.)
In order to raise more interest and awareness about Light the Night as well as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I sent out this message via Georgia View Vista to all of my classmates and instructors in all of my classes…
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“Hi, everyone!
I wanted to let you know about a service project that I involved in through Omega Phi Alpha, a service sorority on campus. This year, we are participating in Light the Night through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of one of our sister’s mothers who has been diagnosed with Amyloidosis and Fibromyalgia. This year alone she has endured more than five surgeries, and she continues in her battle against these diseases. To read more about this cause, check out my blog: https://omegaphialpha.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/getting-ready-for-light-the-night/
If you feel led to donate, please go to this address: http://pages.lightthenight.org/ga/Atlanta11/TMcIntosh. Every dollar helps!
Thank you so much! Please let me know if you have any questions.
-Teigan McIntosh”
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Surprisingly, I received some immediate positive feedback! Here is what one girl in my ENGL 3035: Language and Linguistics class replied: (This message was sent to all students and instructors as well.)
“Just as a side note: this is an amazing foundation that I work with on a daily basis to help my patients with funding of their chemotherapy treatments. They also help with daily life expenses, too. This foundation is amazing – support it! As someone who regularly uses them to get the support needed for my patients, I can honestly say they are the best.”
From my ENGL 3241: Technology and Digital Media in the English Language Arts Classroom class, I got this reply from one of my group members:
“Thank you for sending this, Teigan! My sister-in-law was diagnosed with 2nd stage lymphoma close to 2 yrs ago. Within the same wk, she also found out that she was pregnant! She started chemo in her 2nd trimester. My niece was born 10/1/10. She was told she would be unable to have anymore children and then in May she found out that she is now currently pregnant with twins! Because of her current pregnancy she is unable to know if the cancer has come back; we pray it has not. I think that this is a great service project and I will check out the link and donate what I can! Thanks.”
Also, in class, someone else told me that they were going to look into the organization and the event and that they would probably be able to donate to my page. I was overwhelmed with the positive response that I received from my classmates! Even if people are not able to donate, I am pleased that people actually read my message on Georgia View, and that they know what we are doing as a service organization. Also, this has already helped me get to know a couple of my classmates a little bit better- I had no idea that someone I talk to everyday has been so closely affected by this disease.
Another avenue that we are pursuing in trying to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, is by creating a partnership with a fraternity at KSU, Delta Chi. (They are a relatively new fraternity at KSU, so, in my opinion, this is a great time to start connecting with them!) A couple weeks ago, three of us went to their chapter meeting and presented our ideas to them about this service project. They seemed interested in the cause, and they expressed to us that they would be willing to help if they could, either now, with this specific project, or in the future with other service that we do. My little, Mei Mei, got the contact information for their Philanthropy Chair, and she emailed him more specific information today, along with a link to my earlier blog post regarding Light the Night, and our team’s homepage. Hopefully these conversations will result in a partnership. I think that this connection, and hopefully others to follow, will be vital for Omega Phi Alpha’s success- in all realms, whether that be service or fundraising. I have talked to other girls who were involved in sororities at other schools, such as UGA, and they said that the reason their fundraisers worked was because various organizations worked together. For example, if we were able to successfully build this connection with Delta Chi, we could attend their fundraisers and they could attend ours. We could collaborate on service projects and social functions. Unlike other social organizations, I am not looking to party and have “mixers” of any kind! That is not what Omega Phi Alpha is about. I am simply saying that building connections and fostering a professionally based community with other organizations on campus could only benefit those parties involved.
Nothin' Sweeter than ΩΦΑ 