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A four-day fundraiser, which includes a five-legged-monster race and water balloon toss, will help raise money to fight cancer and hunger.
Sigma Chi’s Derby Days is an annual philanthropic event to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation and collect food for the Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico. The event will be held from Sept. 27 through Sept. 30.
“This is going to be the first Derby Days of this magnitude,” Derby Days coordinator Casey Harty said.
Harty said that in previous years, only sorority members were allowed to compete in Derby Days races, but this year participants don’t have to belong to a sorority. He said the male participants will get a chance to cook at cook-off for all the girls participating in the races. “Hopefully we’ll get some teams that are composed of athletes, some teams that are composed of dorm women, maybe an international team,” Harty said. “We’re hoping to donate roughly $4,000-5,000 and a couple of hundred pounds of food,” he said.
Harty said that the money donated to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation will be generated through entrance fees, individual donations and sponsorship from businesses in Albuquerque, such as Reeve Media and Cheeba Hut. He said the fraternity has already raised about $2,000.
“The gain of sponsors in this year’s Derby Days is new and very promising,” Harty said. “We’ve reached out to businesses throughout the city to try to get some funding … and it’s actually proven very successful.” Harty said that in order to collect food donations, Sigma Chi will charge an entrance fee for the Kentucky Derby-themed formal dance. He said that anyone who wants to attend the formal-wear dance has to donate three nonperishable food items.
Harty said the fundraiser will end with an awards ceremony, where the winning team will be announced. He said the winning team will win the first annual Derby Days plaque and gift cards, and that 15 percent of the proceeds will be donated to a charity of the winning team’s choice.
“We can make it a lot of fun, and not just for the people that are participating, but also for anybody that wants to come by and see what it’s about,” Harty said.
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