Philanthropy
Maine Sea Coast Mission
In honor of our Five Founders from the state of Maine, the 1918 convention chose the Maine Sea Coast Mission as our first national Philanthropy. Each November, Sigma Kappa Chapters donate needed funds for medical and dental aid, food, clothing, toys, and reading materials to families residing on small isolated islands off the rocky, infertile coast of Maine. The mission provides comfort, companionship and needed supplies to isolated mainland communities, as well as to lighthouses and islands along the rocky Maine Coastline. The Mission sends its boat, the Sunbeam, on "Santa Claus Cruises" in December to distribute holiday gifts supplied through donations.
Gerontology
Sigma Kappa has always emphasized our Sorority as a lifetime commitment. Since the time of our Founders, we have revered and enjoyed the active involvement of out alumnae regardless of age. In 1954, this emphasis on lifetime commitment to Sigma Kappa led the convention body to adopt gerontology as our national philanthropy. This is a relatively new field of social service that has come about because of the increase of life expectancy. Sigma Kappa was the first sorority to take this action at a national level.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease was adopted as a national philanthropy at the 1984 convention as a focus of our interest in gerontology. Alzheimer's disease, characterized by progressive memory loss and other problems with intellectual functions, has become a major debilitating disease of the elderly today. This disease has devastating emotional and financial effects on the entire family of the affected persons.
Since the inception of the Alzheimer's disease and research grant program in 1988, the Sigma Kappa Foundation has awarded nearly $500,00 to college and universities in support of Alzheimer's disease and gerentology-related research. Several educational institutions receiving grants include the universities of Southern California, Tennessee, Arizona, Florida, and The Ohio State University, Harvard Medical School, Indiana University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Annually, the Sigma Kappa Foundation sponsors the lollipop campaign. Each fall collegiate chapters receive a variety of lollipops to sell on campuses and in their communities. All money generated from these sales sponsor research for Alzheimer's Disease.
Inherit the Earth
Adopted in 1992, Inherit the Earth is Sigma Kappa's national service project. The program is deigned to combine our interest in gerontology with a project to benefit the environment. Most chapters plan their Inherit the Earth project in the spring, usually around Earth Day in April.
-The above is an excerpt from the Promise book copyrighted by Sigma Kappa Sorority, 1997
The Theta Omicron Chapter also holds "A Kick in the Grass" annually to benefit Alzheimer's disease. The philanthropy consists of a soccer tournament between all fraternities that choose to enter. Each fraternity has a group of coaches from Sigma Kappa.
Fall 1998 Lamda Chi Watermelon Bust
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