Underscoring its commitment to serving others, the Rutgers University-Camden Panhellenic Council has received the Gamma Phi Beta Community Impact Award from the Northeast Greek Leadership Association.
The award, given on March 1 at the association’s annual conference in Pittsburgh, recognizes the women of Delta Phi Epsilon and Sigma Delta Tau at Rutgers-Camden for their hard work and creativity in planning the Greeks are for Kids! Fun Day each spring.
“Winning this award has been a wonderful reminder of why we host the Greeks Are For Kids! carnival every year, as well as a reminder of the positivity that it brings to our organization and to the communities for which we are able to host this event,” says Kaitlyn Devereaux, secretary for Sigma Delta Tau and vice president for programming for the Rutgers-Camden Panhellenic Council.
Greeks are for Kids! is a philanthropy created to provide opportunities for children with mental or physical disabilities to participate in fun, appropriate activities in a safe and exciting environment. The program’s annual carnival features moon bounces, slides, games, musical entertainment, food, and a petting zoo.
The fourth annual Greeks are for Kids! Fun Day will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at Campbell’s Field in Camden. More than 200 children are expected to attend.
“This event has given me an opportunity to give back to a community that has given so much to me,” says Devereaux, a resident of Gloucester City, who assists children with special needs as a student teacher and plans to enter a career working in that capacity. “Being able to host this event alongside the strong support system of inspirational women whom I have met in Greek life has allowed me to combine two of my biggest passions in life.”
In addition to the Gamma Phi Beta Community Impact Award, the women received an honorable mention for the Amy Vojta Impact Award for Philanthropy and Community Service, given to an outstanding community service and philanthropic event.
Eleven students and two honorary alumni members will also be inducted into Rutgers-Camden’s first class of the Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Honor Society. Any fraternity or sorority member with at least 60 credits and a minimum cumulative and term GPA of 3.5 is invited to seek membership into Gamma Sigma Alpha.
Greeks are for Kids! is open to the general public. For more details, visit the program’s Facebook page at facebook.com/GreeksareforKids or contact Kaitlyn Devereaux at kate1213@comcast.net.