Over the past week, the sisters of Chi Beta Sigma hosted a Deep Freeze fundraiser against cancer. 

Embracing the week’s motto, “Freezin’ for a Reason,” the sisters pitched their tents on the Strebel Back Lawn hoping to raise approximately $7,000 for the American Cancer Society. 

Day and night, through the freezing temperatures, all 19 sisters worked the tables and collected donations.

“I definitely feel very proud,” said Toni Palmisano, president of Chi Beta Sigma. “I feel proud of my sisters, I feel proud to be a part of an organization that takes it to this extent to do something for a cause.”

In prior years, the fraternity Alpha Chi Rho handled the Deep Freeze fundraiser and eventually passed it down to Chi Beta Sigma. The sisters loved the idea of doing something “outrageous” for the cause, so they were “very willing” to take it on for the first time last year, Palmisano said. 

This year, Chi Beta Sigma aimed to not only attract more student engagement but also wanted to raise their goal higher than the $6,500 that they raised last year. Consequently, the sisters devised a plan to incorporate more events throughout the week.

They offered free events for students such as hot chocolate nights, snowman-building contests and snowball fights. On Friday, they hosted a candlelight vigil for those affected by cancer. The activities garnered more interaction from students, so the event got “busier and busier” every day, Palmisano said.

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Chi Beta Sigma hosts a Deep Freeze fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Photo by Nolan Hyman

Planning the fundraiser, handled by one of the sorority’s committees, started months ago. From there, they began contacting businesses for donations and gathering the supplies they would need to keep safe and warm throughout the week.

When the sisters told people about the fundraiser, they would get told they were crazy for sleeping outside in the cold for a week. However, Palmisano said it’s something her sisters looked forward to since they hosted it last year. 

“I feel like this is our favorite week. Since last year, we’ve been talking about when it’s going to come around this year,” Palmisano said. “It’s definitely just a week where we get closer than we already were and spend any free second that we can together, so it’s definitely a lot of fun.”

So far, they have raised more than $4,500, and the sorority will continue to fundraise until they reach their goal. Donations to support the cause can be made at: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=relay_donate_now&FR_ID=109857&PROXY_TYPE=22&PROXY_ID=2792671