Make-a-Wish honors 3 PSU organizations' fund-raising - CDT Story
Make-a-Wish honors 3 PSU organizations' fund-raising
By Jim Dauti - For The Times
The Make-a-Wish Foundation Central Division. Bellefonte, honored two Penn State fraternities and one sorority Tuesday for their fund-raising contributions last year.
"This is a very specific awards ceremony for the people at Penn State." Brad Lunsford, Central Division coordinator, said at an awards ceremony on the steps of Old Main, Penn State's administration building. "We hope to en-courage more participation and keep the people we have."
The fraternities, Sigma Alpha Mu and Theta Chi, and the sorority, Theta Kappa. raised money to grant a wish for children with life-threatening diseases.
"It's always good to be recognized for the hard work you do," said Jason Ficks, Sigma Alpha Mu philanthropy chairman.
Brett Handmaker, president of Sigma Alpha Mu. said the fraternity likes to donate its fund-raising money locally. Last year the fraternity donated $3,600 to Jessica Hoy. a girl from Bellefonte who has leukemia. The money was used to make her wish for a swimming pool come true.
The Theta Kappa Pi sorority raised "$3,400 plus, said Dawn Shober, sorority president. Shober said sorority members raised the money through a 48-hour see-saw marathon and through canning.
Jim Gavula, last year's chair-man of Theta Chi's fund-raising activities, said Theta Chi raised a little over $3,200 through the Kicks Soccer Classics tournament.
The two fraternities and one sorority collectively raised $14,000. Total donation to the central divi-sion was $24,000. according to Lunsford. An average of $3,400 is spent for each wish in the central division, Lunsford said.