Our
National Philanthropy is "Sigma serves Children." It began with a
little boy, Robbie Page, who died of Polio in 1951. Robbie was the
son of Mary Hastings Halloway Page, who at the time was out fourth National
President. At this time there was no cure for polio, and Mary and
her husband established a memorial fund for polio research. Tri Sigmas
asked what they could do to help, thus the Robbie Page Memorial Fund was
started. This was the foundation for "Sigma Serves Children."
The Robbie Page Memorial was adopted as our National Philanthropy in 1954.
Tri Sigma contributed part of the memorial fund to the Department of Pediatrics
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and part to the Children's
Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. These institutions have used the
funds to provide a room in which the hospitalized children can play.
We call it "Play Therapy for Children."
Our chapter, Epsilon Phi, makes annual trips to UNC-Chapel Hill's play
therapy room, to bring them toys, coloring books, crayons and other fun
stuff. We stay for hours, just talking to them and playing with them.
There is no other feeling like the one you get when you walk into the room
and see their little faces light up with joy! |
