With silent week beginning on Sunday, there are some terrific opportunities today for potential new members to mingle with active Greek members on campus. The best thing is that everyone involved in these activities will be serving wonderful causes together.
Beginning at 11 a.m., the TOMS “Style your Sole” party will begin at the Union Plaza. TOMS is a California-based shoe company that donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that that they sell. TOMS college representative for Ole Miss, Harper Ferguson, has been leading this collaborative service effort of many organizations all over campus.
Today’s event is sponsored by Hope for Africa, and Lambda Sigma has named this their service project for October. Ferguson says that last spring’s TOMS event was the second largest across the country, second to an inner city Detriot school, so TOMS has sent vagabonds (interns who run the college events) from their Santa Monica, Calif., headquarters with high spirits. Most college events sell around 25 pairs of shoes, and Ferguson is hoping to exceed 100 pairs this afternoon.
“I would love to be able to say that Ole Miss students have provided 100 pairs of shoes for children in need!” Ferguson said.
To those who are unfamiliar with TOMS, giving away shoes might seem materialistic, but to the recipients, shoes are life changing. In many areas of the world where the shoes are delivered, the shoes open the door to an education because kids are not allowed to attend school unless they have shoes.
Also, shoes are vital to preventing health problems for children in some countries. In certain places of the world, there are foot diseases that can be prevented simply by wearing shoes. To help out in this endeavor has been a huge goal of all TOMS volunteers and students participating and promoting today’s event. There will be a video at the table today showing a DVD of the most recent shoe drops in Africa.
The TOMS event this past April was a great success, and now Greek organizations all over campus are donating to this great cause. Ferguson says letters were sent out to all Greek presidents encouraging them to be as involved as they want to be either by buying shoes in bulk for their members or simply distributing sack lunches so that members can come out and support the event on their lunch break instead of eat at their respective houses. The response has been positive, and she hopes that everyone will come out and support TOMS today.
Red Bull will be providing drinks for everyone, and there will be some great music from Candace Parker, Bill Perry, Hardy Farris and TOMS vagabond, Tim Schurrer. Each pair of TOMS is $42. There will be a selection of shoes in various colors and sizes. Once you pick up your pair, you can head to the paint table and “Style your sole” as the party theme suggests. If you love your design, be sure to take a picture to post on the “Art for Africa” poster. For those timid with their artistic abilities, the Student Art Association will be there to volunteer their design expertise.
To learn more about TOMS, go to www.tomsshoes.com or go out to the Union Plaza today anytime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
As the TOMS shoes event wraps up, sorority girls and sorority hopefuls will flood into the Union Plaza to register for the C.A.R.E. walk that will begin at 4 p.m. The two mile all female walk through campus is an annual event hosted by the Panhellenic Council here at Ole Miss. C.A.R.E. Stands for Cancer Awareness Research and Eradication.
Panhellenic Vice President of Community Service Claire Leftwich says this afternoon’s walk is to promote breast cancer awareness, research, and eradication and to also raise much needed funds for the local cancer center.
Leftwich explains that every active sorority member is required to participate because it is important to raise breast cancer awareness in young women, and the money they donate will be going towards research that may one day save their lives because one in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer.
Last year, the Panhellenic Council was able to donate $20,000 to Baptist Cancer Center. Leftwich says that this year Panhellenic would like to increase the donation, and this has been made possible with the help of fraternities on campus.
“Of the $3,850 in scholarship we have this year, almost $2,000 was given to us by fraternity men on campus and the men from the Interfraternity Council. The fraternities who donated were Kappa Alpha Order, Pi Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, and Beta Theta Pi. Kappa Alpha was extremely generous to us giving $1,200,” Leftwich said.
Fraternity men will also be volunteering at the walk as well. The men of Kappa Sigma have helped out tremendously by volunteering their time at the actual walk for the past two years and will continue to do so on Thursday.
Active Greeks will not be participating in the walk alone. All female potential new members are highly encouraged to register and participate in the walk. They will be able to spend time with active sorority women before silent week begins on Sunday after convocation. Leftwich also hopes this will give potential new members a chance to experience how passionate the Greek community is about their philanthropic endeavors.
This walk is not only open to the Greek community but to the larger community, as well.
“The Panhellenic Council would love to have non-Greek students as well as members from the Oxford community participate! We hope to see everyone there!” Leftwich said.
Anyone that participates in the walk will get a T-shirt and free pizza. There will also be music.
Not only will today provide opportunities for potential new members to spend time with with active Greeks, but it is a day of opportunity to serve other people here in Oxford and around the world.
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