"...we want girls who will not only take a lot of fun and happiness out of college but also put some useful services into it..."-S.Perry, 1936
Alpha Omicron Pi's international philanthropy is Arthritis Research. All AOII chapters, collegiate and alumni raise money to support our philanthropy . Since 1967 the Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation has given over $1 million in grants to find the cause and cure for this crippling disease whose primary target is women and children. Epsilon Omega's philanthropy fundraiser is our Annual AOII Lip Sync competition and AOII Strike Out! Arthritis Bowling Tournament.
Lip Sync
During this competition sororities and fraternities showcase their abilities or lack of, by performing an 8 minute lip sync and dance performance. Awards are then given to the top three winners and the most original in both the sorority and fraternity divisions. The entire Greek community and non-Greek community has a blast coming out and watching the performance. The money we make from entry fees into the competition are donated to our philanthropy.
Strike Out! Arthritis Bowling Tournament
2007 was the first year that Epsilon Omega organized the bowling tournmanet. The past couple of years our Strike Out! Arthritis event was a walk at Lake Reba. The bowling tournmanet is made up of greek and non-greek teams. They are placed on a bracket to compete, and there are winners in Fraternity, Sorority, and Community categories.
All proceeds from entry fees, etc. are donated to Arthritis research.
Other Coummity Service
Epsilon Omega also participates in other community service projects throughout the year. We do a lot of various activities with the residents of McCready Manor Assisted Living Facility such as a Valentine's Day cake walk, Easter egg hunt, Prom style dance, and Halloween trick-or-treat. A lot of our members help out community churches with their consignment sales by babysitting children. Other members help out with Vacation Bible School at local churches. Many of our members also enjoy going to a local gymnastics center and working with Autistic children once a week. We also enjoy volunteering for the local schools to read to the students. Members who are unable to participate in some of these events (and those who do) find other ways to give to the community. This is done by donating items to the Pregnancy Help Center/Goodwill, donating blood, or by volunteering. These are just a few ways that Epsilon Omega is striving to give back to the community and the world around them.
Other EKU Greek Chapters
AOII always takes the opportunity to shine when it comes to participating in other chapters fundraisers for their respective philanthropies. By doing this we are not only showing our support for the Greek community as a whole, but we are also being given the chance to gain recognition for our chapter. The events we participated in during 2006/2007 school year were; Phi Kappa Tau Oktoberfest, Lambda Chi Alpha Watermelon Bust (Overall Winner), KA Rodeo, Sigma Chi Derby Days, Pi Kappa Alpha Dreamgirl (Winner), Sigma Pi Softball, Tau Kappa Epsilon Theta Chi Kickball (2nd place), Alpha Gam Slam and Sigma Nu Charity Bowl. If for some reason we are unable to attend a philanthropy event, then we always make a donation to their fund to show our support. The Panhellenic Council sponsors many events throughout the year that we also take part in. These include; Relay For Life, Cheer for the Cure, Habitat for Humanity, Casino Night, Date for the Cure, and Greek Week.
DID YOU KNOW?
*Arthritis and related diseases currently affect more than 43 million people in the United States and Canada. This number is expected to swell to nearly 65 million by the year 2020. That equates to almost one out of every five people affected by arthritis and its related diseases.
*Some of the most common and most damaging forms of arthritis attack more women than men.
*Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) affects some 61,000 girls in the U.S. alone, representing 86% of all cases. JRA can cause inflammation of the joints and in some cases affect a child's internal organs. ·
*Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in America, limiting everyday activities such as dressing, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed or walking. ·
*The estimated annual cost of arthritis to the economy
in medical care and indirect costs such as lost wages is $150
billion.