Sigma Chi’s annual Derby Days raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network
The Sigma Chi fraternity, with the help of neighboring sororities, collected more than $2,500 last week for the Children’s Miracle Network by organizing and promoting a week of activities in the annual Derby Days competition.
The week consisted of money-raising events held on campus and at the fraternity house.
The events included a banquet catered by the White Owl, a ‘Derby Girl’ competition, a concert featuring Blind Iris and Kiss of the Iron Death Snake, sorority skits, Sigma Chi date auction and burgers for a buck on the TSC Patio.
All Derby Days proceeds were donated to the Children’s Miracle Network who in turn provide funding for Primary Children’s hospitals. The activities are traditional and are similar each year.
Kyle Hallsten, head of the Derby Days committee for the chapter and lead singer for K.I.D.S., said he was impressed by both sorority and student involvement.
“I wanted to say thank you to all sororities, students, and especially the [Sigma Chi] members for their continued involvement and raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network,” Hallsten said. “The turnout overall was really good.”
Sigma Chi has been sponsoring this event at USU annually since Merlin Olsen, a USU Sigma Chi Alumni, elected the Children’s Miracle Network as the fraternity’s national philanthropy in 1992.
Nationally, other chapters of the fraternity have been celebrating the tradition before then Hallsten said.
Since 1992, Sigma Chi fraternities nation-wide have collected and donated more that $4 million to the Children’s Miracle Network. The organization’s headquarters are located in Salt Lake City.
Sigma Chi members Cameron Gordon and Mark Mecham accompanied Hallsten on the chapter committee in charge of Derby Days.
Mecham, who is a sophomore majoring in fine arts, said he feels the message about the fraternity and their intentions with the proceeds are not understood by many of the USU students.
“People don’t appreciate the fact that a fraternity can do some charity. They need to realize the money is for the children, not us and to not deny the Children’s Miracle Network the money and donations because they don’t agree with the Greek system,” Mecham said.
The events with the greatest turnouts were the Sigma Chi date auction, the concert and the burgers for a buck, Hallsten said.
At the date auction Sigma Chi member Dave Peterson was sold to the Kappa Delta members for $130, the highest amount for the auction.
The Kappa Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, and Chi Omega sororities all participated in the events. They supported the Greek dinner, helped advertise the cause, sold tickets for the concert and participated in the sorority skits and the flag football tournament on the Quad Thursday.
Hallsten said the entire Derby Days competition is based on a point system between the Greek houses, where points are given by placement and involvement in each of the activities. The house with the greatest number of points wins 10 percent of the proceeds. This year’s winner was the Kappa Delta sorority.
Next year, Hallsten said, they are going to work on planning the event in a more timely manner and involving other organizations at USU, not just the Greek population.
Jared Ocana, a senior majoring in journalism and a Sigma Chi member said, “I think we did a really great job and had a lot of fun. It felt great to give all that money to the Children’s Miracle Network.”
-amking@cc.usu.edu