Delta Chi fraternity will host a charity event to raise money for cancer research on Thursday, Feb.13, in the Delta Chi house on New Row.
The event, Valentines for Valvano, aims to support The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Jim Valvano and ESPN established the foundation in 1993, after Valvano was diagnosed with bone cancer, a condition he died of two months later.
Valvano was a legendary basketball coach and broadcaster, most well known for coaching North Carolina State's men's basketball to a NCAA Division 1 championship in 1983.
"Jimmy Valvano, the person who this foundation was named after, believed that cancer brought everyone together because it's something that we all have in common," said Zach St. Clair, chair of external fraternity affairs for Delta Chi. "Our goal is to raise awareness of The V Foundation because it's not a very well-known philanthropy on this campus."
The goal of The V Foundation is to find a cure for cancer by funding physicians' and scientists' cancer research. To date, more than $115 million has been raised and donated to cancer research facilities.
"As part of the function of a fraternity we're supposed to give back to our community," said Michael Hobensack, secretary of Delta Chi. "We are all very passionate about the Jimmy V Foundation. Pretty much everyone in our fraternity has been touched by cancer in some way or another, so we really want to do whatever we can to help out."
Valentines for Valvano centers on a baking contest and is the first event Delta Chi has held for a few years due to scheduling issues.
Guests can get involved in the event by attending as a taster or baker.
"We are having a big all-you-can-eat sweets event at our house that costs $5 to enter," St. Clair said. "Also, we are having a baking contest where you pay $5 to register your baked good and we'll have a taste-testing contest."
Auburn tight end C.J. Uzomah will judge the contest. Prizes will be awarded for the top three baked goods. All proceeds go to The V Foundation for Cancer Research and further donations are accepted at the event.
"It's the first philanthropy event we're pulling off in quite a few years, and it's our national charity that we donate to, so this event means a big amount to us," said Jacob Schwartz, president of Delta Chi. "We make an annual donation to the foundation each semester of $2000, so we hope to raise a chunk of that at this event."
Guests can register their entry for the event up until its start time of 4 p.m. Free parking will be available along the intramural field.
"We talked to parking services and they are going to stop ticketing the intramural fields at 3 p.m., so if people want to come by we'll be setting up the event at that point," St. Clair said. "It will be a casual, fun event that we think people will enjoy and also help raise money for a growing philanthropy."
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