A sluggish economy would seem to pose an insurmountable challenge to successful fundraising, but Sigma Chi’s efforts Friday suggest otherwise.
The fraternity raised an estimated $30,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Institute with the Sigma Chi’s First Night to Conquer Cancer event, a $150-per-plate dinner and silent auction at La Caille restaurant, said Sigma Chi President Matt Hansel.
The record for fundraising stands at about $50,000 for a single event, said Sigma Chi Public Relations Chairman Mitch Dumke. Although a final tally for Friday’s event wasn’t made as of Saturday, it is certain to far surpass last year’s total of $10,000.
“The fun thing about the event is that it totally revolutionized the way we do our event every year,” Dumke said. “Usually it’s more of an invite your mom and dad and friends event. This year, we had corporate sponsorships.”
Dumke said there was two months of planning for the event, and it was the first year they set a prepaid commitment.
The dinner drew about 280 attendees, who participated in a silent auction and a chipping game in which participants bought golf balls and tried to make a hole-in-one in hopes of winning a 2010 Mercedes. The game alone brought in $1,000, Dumke said.
Among the attendees were Bob Haight, HCI executive vice president, and a host of Sigma Chi alumni, as well as Remington Plewe, who appeared at the dinner to read a letter on behalf of his 27-year-old brother, Brandon Plewe, who is undergoing cancer treatment.
“It was really touching,” Dumke said. “It was great to remind us that it isn’t about us, it’s about cancer and funding research to fight it.”
HCI has been Sigma Chi’s national charity of choice since 2005, partly because Jon Huntsman Jr. and Jon Huntsman Sr. are alumni of the fraternity. Huntsman Sr. has pledged to contribute between $15,000 and $20,000 to the Sigma Chi scholarship fund for their fundraising efforts.
Dumke said planning for next year’s event will begin in the spring.