Lakeland University’s students give back to the community through various charity events. Fraternities, sororities and sports teams all participate.
Mu Lambda Sigma
The fraternity Mu Lambda Sigma held a fundraiser raffle for the Humane Society from Feb. 17-19. They hosted tables from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with promotion throughout the entire campus.
The fraternity hosted this event to meet their criteria of 5-Star, as, “[t]he Humane Society event is classified as a chapter service project for local and or national beneficiaries,” according to active President Dylan Rouse. Additionally, Rouse stated, “We wanted to do more of these philanthropic activities, rather than just only one because when performing these, we enjoy giving back to national/local organizations whose mission is to do good for the community.”
On behalf of Mu Lambda Sigma, Rouse also stated that the “reason we chose to support the Humane Society is we support their mission which is to prevent cruelty to animals, relieve suffering to animals, and extend humane education.”
Phi Delta Omega
Sororities at Lakeland are also giving back to the community, with Phi Delta Omega hosting their annual spring Sexual Assault Awareness Week. SAAW will be hosted from March 31 through April 4 this year, and Savannah Szalanski, Katerina Conrad and Taylor Stoelb are the chairs for the event.
SAAW hosts various events, such as a self-defense class and daily fundraisers, where pins, stickers and other items are sold. The proceeds from these fundraisers go to “sexual assault resources in the community, including Safe Harbor,” according to Taylor Stoelb. She mentions these events are “designed to increase awareness about sexual assault and guide students towards resources to protect themselves from or report sexual assault.”
When asked why Phi Delta Omega runs this event, Stoelb said, “This event is huge for Phi Delta Omega [as it] is close to a lot of our [members’] hearts. Sexual assault happens all too often on college campuses, especially against women. Because of this, we find it especially important to educate students about the risks of sexual assault and what to do if a sexual assault happens.”
To participate in SAAW, donations are always appreciated within all the held fundraisers. Additionally, there are events that “do not require monetary donations,” Stoelb says. She mentions an event called “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes,” where Lakeland students and faculty are invited “to participate in a fun race-style walk with a twist.”
Lakeland Softball Team
Lakeland’s softball team held a Big Brother Big Sister event on Feb. 28 at Odyssey Fun Center in Sheboygan Falls. Big Brother Big Sister is a nonprofit organization that partnered with the team for a fundraiser with the goal of raising funds for the local branch.
According to Jenna Winge, a member of the Lakeland softball team, the team helped to both set up and run the event. Winge also said, “Us players had to run raffle sales, sell t-shirts, help attendees with check-in, and run a few other activities such as the photo booth.” Representatives from Big Brother Big Sister, the Lakeland softball team, coaches and donors were all involved in this event. When asked why the event was held, Winge said, “I think that other than being a fundraising event this event was also held to build a larger and closer community of supporters for Big Brother Big Sister.”
