A Recipe for Community Impact and Philanthropic Success

The moment I had been excited about since the beginning of the school year, but I had also been slightly dreading had finally come. Every year after a philanthropy event, we do a reveal of how much we raised. the amount of which we have raised is concealed until the very end of the event. So, 8:01 p.m. rolled around and it was time for our finance chair to count how much we had raised. Confetti cannons were in place and I had the poster that displayed the total amount. Finally, we revealed that we raised a total of $4,500! After all the stress and research that went into this event, I felt nothing but relief to reveal such a large number. And, the total amount we had raised could not have been done without support from friends, family, the Macomb community, and the WIU community. Throughout the event, I had heard nothing but good things about how detail-oriented the event was. Many people appreciated the inclusion of gluten-free bread, dairy free cheese, option to add protein to the sandwich, accessibility within the house, and overall event organization. Furthermore, the money raised goes towards the Starkey Hearing Foundation. It was nice to hear a few people mention to me that they have been impacted by Starkey, and to learn more about how Starkey is partnered with the Speech and Hearing Departemtn at WIU. The community of “Grilled Cheesy with the Dee Zees” is anyone who would like to attend. We made sure to emphasize that anyone is welcome to attend and support this wonderful cause. Grilled cheese was not just the food item of the event, but it has shaped a new and improved way to raise money for Starkey. Our sorority has problem solved and found a food item that connects to a large audience of people who are intrigued by what Delta Zeta will bring to the table during a fundraising event. We have strived to appeal to multiple communities and bring them together to support a worthy cause.