GoodTimes Bowling buzzed with the enthusiasm of Kappa Delta and Delta Zeta members Thursday night as the two sororities competed both on the lanes and in a raffle drawing.
The Sensigreen CDH Foundation organized the University Bowling Social to raise awareness among young women of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), an often unheard of birth defect which is fatal for some newborns.
As the winning numbers of the raffle were called, participants dined on pizza, chicken wings and fries. Described as a “Dirty Santa”-style drawing, those who's lucky number was called, grabbed a blind bag that had prizes such as gift cards to various businesses around town, Auburn t-shirts, or a free spray tan.
Vice President of community service for Kappa Delta Mary Stewart said her sorority took part in the event because one of her organization’s forefront principles is giving back to others.
“[The social] kinda gives back to not only the Auburn community but the state," Stewart said. "Working with children itself is something that can heal anybody’s heart and we saw an opportunity to give back in our community through that."
As for Delta Zeta, Vice President of new member education Kelly Mordecai said her sorority was the first became involved when the Sensigreen CDH Foundation executive director and Delta Zeta Alumna Amy Wadsworth Register connected with Delta Zeta.
“We definitely thought the competition of bowling and helping out for something [Register] is so passionate about, we love that, and we want to help our alums out in any way we can," Mordecai said. "It’s been a great event, the food was great and all the gifts and everything.”
A team of students from Brigitta Brunner's public relations campaigns course at Auburn was also present to help with the event because the Sensigreen CDH Foundation is one of their clients. Brunner serves not only as a professor, but is also president of the Public Relations Council of East Alabama and knows Register personally.
The two groups are working together to bolster the reach of the organization outside Auburn by redesigning its website, forming an ambassador program and contacting news groups throughout the state.
“We’re trying to reach Birmingham even and Huntsville and Montgomery," Sara McPherson, who is involved in the partnership, said. "We’re really just trying to create awareness so we ask [Register] what she needs and she tells us and there’s some other projects we’re working on."
One of the Sensigreen CDH Foundation's biggest projects they are working to promote throughout the state is NICU Dads. This program focuses on providing emotional and financial assistance to fathers of newborns during their time in the NICU and beyond.
“Our founder had a half-million dollar medical bill and he didn’t know how he was going to pay for that," Register said. "He was given grants. We want to help these NICU dads think through paying off hospital bills but also being able to save for college, retirement, braces, those sorts of things."
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