A big part of Greek life that many people don’t even know about, is the philanthropy. Before I got involved in Greek life, I never would have guessed a big part of being in a fraternity is doing community service work and philanthropy quite often. Like many people who aren’t a part of a fraternity or sorority, I used to just assume that being in Greek life meant just partying and having fun with the guys. I quickly found out that there is so much more than that.

I’m involved with the international fraternity called Sigma Chi. One of the older fraternities, Sigma Chi started back in 1855 in Miami (Ohio) University thanks to some amazing, ambitious men. Now, every fraternity typically has an annual philanthropy event that raises money for a larger charitable organization. Ours is called Derby Days.

Derby Days is a unique thing that Sigma Chi has to offer. It dates back all the way to 1916 when a chapter at the University of California-Berkeley held the first “Derby Days." This eventually spread to many other chapters until it was adopted and used by all the chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada.

To elaborate a little bit on what exactly Derby Days is, it is a week-long event that involves various games or competitions where people can either pay to participate or pay to watch. Traditionally, the competitions involve sororities participating in events such as lip-syncing, dancing, or some field events. However, many chapters are trying to give the entire campus the opportunity to compete and enjoy the games and the chance to win prizes. One of the best things about Derby Days is the freedom it gives chapters to run it the way they want to run, to a certain extent of course. For the participants, they get the chance to have a fun time that also benefits an amazing Institution that helps the lives of many cancer patients and families every day.

The money that is raised throughout Derby Days goes towards one of the largest cancer research institutes in the nation called the Huntsman Cancer Institute located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded by Jon Huntsman Sr. who throughout his entire life was a kind, generous, driven man who attended Penn University where we were part of the Sigma Chi chapter there. Through hard work and dedication to his craft, he became a billionaire. Jon Huntsman and his family have donated millions towards Cancer research and continue to today. Unfortunately, Jon Huntsman Sr. passed away this year on February 2^nd at the age of 80. He will never be forgotten, from his involvement in Sigma Chi to the impact that he has had on many families that have or are going through the process of a loved one with cancer.

See if there is a Sigma Chi on your campus! If there is get involved with Derby Days! It is something you will not regret. As for West Chester students, unfortunately, you just missed ours, however, come next fall to the amazing events! We want next semester’s Derby Days to be even better, so come out and have a great time all while support an amazing cause.