The sisters of Sigma Delta Phi surpassed last year’s fundraising totals on their Date Auction event.
Photo Credit: Allison Faccenda
As the month of October draws to a close, the Sigma Delta Phi sorority’s several months of planning have come to fruition with their annual Sigma Date Auction.
October, also known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is the perfect time of the year for the sorority to host their highly-anticipated event, which has been occurring annually for almost a decade.
All proceeds from the event go to the organization’s philanthropy, Susan G. Komen Foundation, a foundation that gives proceeds towards breast cancer awareness and research, issuing research grants to various institutes in the hopes of one day finding a cure for breast cancer.
Breast cancer comes in various forms, from invasive to non-invasive, which then in turn affect the type of treatment necessary for patients living with the disease. According to the Susan G. Komen website, “Between 50 and 75 percent of breast cancers begin in the milk ducts, about 10 to 15 percent begin in the lobules and a few begin in other breast tissues.”
Bids for dates with participants start at $5. Proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Photo Credit: Allison Faccenda
Research for the disease, which can be found in men and women, receives funding from various events such as walks, which Sigma Delta Phi participates in each year.
This year alone, according to the Susan G. Komen website, “it is estimated that there will be 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer among U.S. women.”
“It was so exciting once we were able to start having the date auction on the seventh floor of University Hall,” said the sorority’s president Ariana Locascio. “When we first started, we were raising in the hundreds and now we are raising in the thousands.”
During last year’s Sigma Date Auction, there were around 60 participants being auctioned off. This year, there were roughly 80 participants.
Just this past year, the sorority raised $3,500 for the foundation and were hoping to exceed this amount. Sigma successfully raised $3,561. The first bid of the night started at $170.
The event was a successful night for Sigma Delta Phi.
Photo courtesy of Ariana Locascio
Participants ranged from Greek Life members to non-Greeks, giving a wide variety of different types of people to be auctioned off for dates. In the past, someone had been auctioned off for $200 alone.
“This year, this cause was near and dear to our hearts, [particularly] because one of our alumni had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and she came to speak this year at the auction,” said Locascio.
All participants in the auction started with a minimum bid of five dollars and the bids rose in price from there. Once participants were auctioned off, they greeted their donors with a flower and the possibility for a potential date.
The event, planned by the chapter’s vice president and sisters, was one of the largest auctions to date. Between raffle baskets, admission and bracelet sales, the sorority was successful in surpassing their earnings from last year and hosted an entertaining and educational event.
