Payton Clark, News Editor
Through dance parties, karaoke and lots of food, OBU’s social clubs are raising money and awareness for charities in Shawnee and around the world.
This past week the women’s social club Theta Sigma Chi put on charity events through their events Kones and Karaoke and the Neon Party, with brother club Lambda Chi Lambda. The Neon Party was held Sept. 16, and Kones and Karaoke was on Sept. 21, both in the Mabee Suite. Clubs Kappa Phi Beta and Pi Sigma Phi are planning similar fundraisers in October.
“It was the first time we’ve done that event, but it’s going to become a regular event we have to raise money for Destiny Rescue,” Theta service co-chair Jana Satzler said. “We haven’t really had a set event to raise money each year, we’ve done lots of different things. Last year we sold t-shirts and did a pancake fundraiser, things like that.”
Like the other social clubs on campus, Theta Sigma Chi has a main philanthropy and others they serve throughout the year.
“Destiny Rescue Mission is our main philanthropy,” Satzler said. “We also help with local groups Salvation Army and Hope House. At the Neon Party, we raised canned goods for the Salvation Army and we just held Kones and Karaoke to raise money for Destiny Rescue.
The funds raised for Destiny Rescue go towards their mission of helping victims of human trafficking, while the canned goods from the Neon Party will help with daily operations at the Salvation Army.
“Salvation Army does soup kitchen every night for the homeless population around Shawnee, so the canned goods we raised from Neon Party all go towards those meals they serve every day,” Satzler said. “We also help prepare and serve those meals once or twice a month, so that’s another way we try to help them out.”
Both events were successful in raising money and canned goods for Destiny Rescue and the Salvation Army, with all of the proceeds earned going directly to the groups.
“We have two or three big bins full of goods that we raised at the Neon Party,” Satzler said. “So far the numbers for Kones and Karaoke, are around $217 in cash, plus whatever we made from Venmo, so the number is closer to $300.”
While Thetas have already held two fundraisers for their philanthropies just in the first month of school, they are planning more events for the rest of the semester and the spring.
“This semester we’ve talked about maybe doing a pumpkin carving contest or a fall festival type event for another fundraiser,” Satzler said. “We’ve also discussed maybe doing spin-off of Kocoa and Karaoke next semester around February, since Kones and Karaoke seemed to be a big hit.”
Kappa Phi Beta serves the philanthropies Community Renewal, Operation Christmas Child and a kindergarten classroom in the Bronx.
“Our campus-wide fundraiser Chacos and Tacos supports Community Renewal in any of their needs,” Kappa service chair Morgan Williams said. “In the fall we focus our secondary resources to Operation Christmas Child and in the spring we focus on a kindergarten classroom in the Bronx.”
In addition to raising money for Community Renewal, the members of Kappa Phi Beta participate in events with the kids sponsored by the organization.
“We support the Community Renewal Kids clubs and we throw spa parties and picnics for the girls and support the chosen locker leaders in the middle schools,” Williams said. “Right now they are building their first Friendship House so that’s what we are supporting.”
Other events and fundraisers go towards serving the “secondary” philanthropies of Kappas at certain times of the year.
“All of the Kappas sponsor boxes for Operation Christmas Child and we are a campus representative to get the rest of the study body to participate,” Williams said. “We also use parts of our budget designated to service to meet the supply needs of the classroom in the Bronx in the spring semester.”
Kappas are currently planning the annual event Chacos and Tacos, which raised significant funds last year for the Salvation Army.
“Last year our Chacos and Tacos event raised just under $600 for our philanthropy,” Williams said. “It was such a fun time with the whole campus and we are looking forward to our third annual coming up Oct. 10, so everyone should come out and support.”
Students can look for an information table in the GC in the coming weeks promoting Chacos and Tacos.
“We will be selling tickets for Chacos and Tacos in the next weeks and we will also be selling t-shirts for the whole campus,” Williams said. “All of the proceeds will go to Community Renewal to support the impact they are making on Shawnee.”
Social club Pi Sigma Phi will also be sponsoring the Barn Dance on Oct. 7, as a fundraiser for their philanthropy.
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