Syracuse University’s Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority Raises Money for Scholarship
By Katherine Beltrami
SYRACUSE, N.Y., April 6, 2024 -- On Saturday, April 6, the Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority at Syracuse University hosted an on-campus event to raise money for the Cynthia J. Smith Scholarship Fund. Delta Phi Epsilon is working to endow this scholarship for one of its members in honor of Cynthia J. Smith, who was an active member of Delta Phi Epsilon. She lost her life in the tragic bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988, which killed several Syracuse students.
To raise money, Delta Phi Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Mu sold s’mores and milkshakes to the Syracuse community. At the event, members of both chapters ran various operations and performed behind-the-scenes tasks. This included making the s’mores and milkshakes to sell, advertising the event and handling sales.
The event was hosted in the front yard of Sigma Alpha Mu’s on-campus house. There was a constant crowd of people dancing to music and having a good time while enjoying their s’mores and milkshakes. Members also held signs on the front lawn to catch attention. People walking by were encouraged to participate in the event themselves and put their money toward a good cause.
The turnout was overwhelming, which resulted in the milkshakes selling out before the event was over. To overcome this issue, members of both chapters used quick thinking skills by rushing to the store to get additional supplies. This resulted in more items being sold and an increase in money for the scholarship fund.
Gracie Lebersfeld, vice president of programming for Delta Phi Epsilon and organizer o the event, said, “I’m really proud of this event. We had such a great turnout for an amazing cause and I couldn’t be prouder of our chapter.”
As vice president of programming, Lebersfeld oversees all philanthropy events. This event was especially important to her because it was co-hosted by Sigma Alpha Mu and both chapters supported significant causes. Delta Phi Epsilon raised money for the Cynthia J. Smith Scholarship Fund while Sigma Alpha Mu benefitted the Judy Fund, which is dedicated to eliminating Alzheimer’s disease. Lebersfeld also mentioned that Delta Phi Epsilon has “never done anything like this before,” marking it as a monumental occasion.
The event alone raised $1,947 for the Cynthia J. Smith Scholarship Fund. In total, Delta Phi Epsilon has now raised over $5,000 for the fund and will continue to raise more in the future. While this is a relatively new part of their philanthropy, Delta Phi Epsilon is dedicated to endowing this scholarship. The scholarship was founded in 2023 and will continue to be an important part of Delta Phi Epsilon fundraising for years to come.
“I’m so excited for future events,” Lebersfeld said. “It’s such an important cause to Delta Phi Epsilon as well as the Syracuse community as a whole. We are honored to do this philanthropy in the name of Cynthia J. Smith.”
Delta Phi Epsilon will continue hosting events in the future for the scholarship fund. In doing so, it is keeping Smith’s memory alive and contributing to a worthy cause.
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