Welcome to Gamma Sigma Sigma

With the Spring 2008 semester coming to a close, the Beta Gamma Chapter at the University of Delaware bid farewell and good luck to 50 senior members. The Senior Sendoff luncheon event was also their last meeting of the academic year, bringing a conclusive report of the semester’s events alongside the tearful nostalgia.

To raise money for their philanthropy Delaware’s Foundation for Reaching Citizens with Cognitive Disabilities (DFRC), the girls of Beta Gamma put on a handful of fundraisers with the help of Coldstone Creamery, Arbonne Cosmetics, California Tortilla, a clothing sale, the Korner Diner, and a Coffee House event in the student center. Over the course of the past year, the chapter is proud to report that they have collected nearly $9000 for DFRC! The sisters also plan to attend and volunteer at the DFRC Blue-Gold All*Star Football Game to be held on June 21^st.

Beta Gamma continues to volunteer for a variety of organizations, and participates in several weekly projects that include: Adopt-A-Highway, A.I. Dupont Children’s Hospital, “Penguin Pickup” safe rides, babysitting and tutoring for multiple organizations, TOP Soccer, Young Mentor’s Circle, and working at the Soup Kitchen and Newark Nursing Home. They also participated in a weekend-long clean up trip to Cape Henlopen, volunteered at the American Girl Fashion Show, and represented in large numbers at both Relay for Life and District Service Day. Collecting can tabs, box tops, soup labels, printer cartridges, cell phones, and donating clothing are also traditions that are carried on from semester to semester.

Unity is important to the Beta Gamma girls! Each week, sisters can meet up at a restaurant around Newark for a “Sister Dinner” to get to know each other better and meet members-in-training. They also have “Letter Days” during the week when all sisters wear their letters to class. The girls love unity events and have planned numerous outings and events this semester such as a Gamma Sig Spirit Week, a trip to see “West Side Story”, attending a Phillies game, a Luau, Date Party, family day picnic, bonding at an UN-sleepover and Purse Party, and of course, the White Rose Ball at the semester’s end, which introduced and honored the 41 new sisters (Beta Alpha pledge class) activated this semester!

In addition to their Unity in Service, Beta Gamma has a new and improved website: www.betagammaud.com. Check them out!

South Carolina Alumni Interest Group Up and Running

During the month of February, Soror Walonda Catoe’s family endured a tragic fire at their home. The South Carolina Alumni interest group, which consists of alumni from the Eta Beta and Epsilon Beta chapters, teamed up to help their fellow sister. These wonderful sisters spent time making sure that Soror Walonda’s family had all the basic things that they needed. Clothes, can goods, toiletries, and many other goods were taking up and given to the family.

The interest group has been busy trying to get there interest group up and running. They have spent the last two months doing service projects together at Providence Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, March of Dimes and many other places.

The South Carolina Alumni interest group is looking forward to having a great year and soon becoming an alumni chapter.

Nutmeg Alumnae Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority is celebrating their forty-first anniversary. They are a group of women living in Connecticut who have pledged the National Sorority in various colleges throughout the United States. Chapters used to exist at UCONN and CCSU, where most of Nutmeg’s members are from. UMASS has also contributed alumni who now living in Connecticut. These women come together every month to do service to the community. Ongoing service projects include making Sojourn Bears TM for cancer patients; knitting or crocheting shawls for Hospice patients; making “Neck Coolers” and care packages for soldiers; making toiletry bags for homeless shelters; and collecting food for food banks.

Members included in the attached picture are from left to right: Mary Lou Edwards, Treasurer from Fairfield; Donna Fazzino, Vice President from Middletown; Jo-Ann Olsen, President from Fairfield; Renee Janes, Recording Secretary from Wallingford; Holly Fydenkevez, Corresponding Secretary from East Hartford and Pat Saul, District III Director and founding member of Nutmeg, who has since moved to Vermont and started a chapter, CNEAC in Vermont.

Missing from the picture are Patty Bruhn from Windsor and Toni Villines from Meriden, CT

The Delta Upsilon Chapter located in Potsdam, NY raised nearly $400 in cash donations and over $100 in donated items for the local Animal shelter. There was over 15 bottles of bleach, 20 rolls of paper towels, cleaning supplies, animal treats and toys were all collected at the local grocery store, P&C.

We also raised over $350 for Edwards Knox Playground. The current playground is falling apart and unsafe for the children. With the help of a benefit concert (put on by one of our sisters and her band) and raffle, we were able to raise money to help improve the safety for the children.

For Valentines day, we made chocolate candies and sold them to benefit CAVA (citizens against violent acts). we raised over $150 for that
organization.

We had an extremely awesome semester and hope that the future semesters are just as rewarding.

Zeta Nu Chapter Steps Up

The Zeta Nu Chapter at Slippery Rock University has shown its true colors in the past few years. They went from seven members in 2002 to almost forty-three members, including current pledges, in 2005. Not only has the sorority grown, but the quality of the women involved within the organization has been astounding. They have truly proven themselves as having developed friendship through service.

They have raised over $200 for the Make-a-Wish foundation by collecting change from students in classes. They also collected over $1500 worth of expired coupons for American troops. They’ve spent countless hours at a local care center decorating for holidays and playing games with the residents. Several of the sisters’ work with the Reading Line program which helps children learn to read by reading stories with them over the phone. They volunteered with the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament and are currently working with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Butler County.

Upcoming events include a chapter sponsored dance for the Association of Mentally Retarded Citizens of Butler County, Bowl for Kids’ Sake, Adopt-a-Highway clean-up, and Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. On St. Patrick’s Day, the chapter participated in a Non- Alcoholic Mix-off. Even though they did not win this year, they had a great time together which that was all that mattered. Several of the sisters’ got together and started the first UMADD chapter in the state of Pennsylvania and will be honored on April 6 because their accomplishments.

The Zeta Nu Chapter has a very promising future ahead of them and we wish them the best of luck.