Music playing outside Griffin Hall could be heard around campus, drawing students over to see what the excitement was all about. Phi Sigma Sigma held their annual Rock-a-Thon on Oct. 23 as part of the Phi Sigma Sigma Gauntlet Philanthropy Week.

“The Rock-a-Thon was started on our campus, and it is now practiced by Phi Sigs all over the nation. We get pledged to rock in rocking chairs all day long so we can raise money for our philanthropy,” Erin Edwards, sophomore middle grades, special education, social studies major, said. “Basically, we rock in rocking chairs to simulate what people who are on dialysis go through.”

The women of Phi Sig rock for the cause because a portion of the proceeds go to the National Kidney Foundation, according to senior public relations major Kellie Peyton. When the philanthropy was chosen in the ‘70s, she said, kidney-related diseases were the leading cause of death in women.

Members from every Greek chapter on campus, as well as some other organizations, stopped by yesterday to rock and help raise awareness for kidney disease. With a penny war going on all week, a Dine to Donate at Raniero’s Pizzeria event earlier this week and more, Phi Sig hopes to raise $5,000 in support of their foundation.

“One of our core values is leadership through service, and while this isn’t a service thing, it’s raising money for something that serves the greater good, so it’s really important to us,” Edwards concluded.
“This is what a sorority is about,” Peyton said. “It’s about serving your community, having a sisterhood and making a difference.”

Phi Sigma Sigma will be raising money for their philanthropy all week. For more information, or to donate, contact any member of the Phi Sig sorority.