PHILANTHROPY

The Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation is a non-profit corporation formed in 1984. The Foundation distributes funds for charitable, philanthropic, educational, and other benevolent purposes including enhancing the leadership skills of modern-day women, providing grants and scholarships to students, and supporting play therapy programs for hospitalized children.

National

The motto "Sigma Serves Children" demonstrates how the Foundation specifically assists children through the Robbie Page Memorial Fund. This was established in 1951 following the death of Robbie Page, son of Mary Hastings Holloway Page, National President of Tri-Sigma at that time. Robbie Page died of bulbar polio which during the 1950s had no cure or way of prevention. This prompted Robbie's parents to establish a memorial fund in honor of their son. Tri-Sigma adopted the Robbie Page Memorial Fund as its official philanthropy in 1954.

Current national efforts are centered on funding fellowships at the Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and in funding graduate assistant-ships at the University of North Caroline Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The National Therapeutic Recreation Society has recognized Sigma Sigma Sigma for their gracious support of Child Life and Play Therapy Programs.

This year we raised money for the Robbie Page Memorial Foundation with a Fitness Day!

Local

Relay For Life, is a world-wide organization which is held annually in celebration of the lives of people who have been affected by cancer. It is held to celebrate those who battled cancer and are now fighting back against the disease, to remember those who have passed, and to find a cure to stop this disease once and for all. Marist College sponsors Relay For Life every spring out by the riverfront. Students stay up 12 hours in memory of everyone affected by cancer and are separated into different teams, with one person from each team to serve as a representative at all times. It is a fun and memorable time. It is a privilege for Sigma Sigma Sigma to help take part in such a life-changing event.

Another volunteer program that Sigma Sigma Sigma proudly participates in is the Adopt-A-Highway program. Adopt-A-Highway is a volunteer driven clean-up organization committed to reducing roadside litter. The 3 mile strip of highway, Route 9, in front of Marist is sponsored by Tri-Sigma, where we are committed to keeping the road directly outside of Marist clean and litter free. Once a year we meet, pick up, and dispose all of the garbage on the side of the road surrounding the college.

Relay for Life has affected the lives of many of us in our chapter at Marist College, which is why Relay For Life is such a life-changing event to be a part of. Not only is it a great bonding experience between the sisters but it is a night of memories, making new ones and sharing old ones.