Items ranging from handmade pens, Busch Garden tickets and several gift cards to El Patron, almost everything and anything was up for grabs at the Tri Sigma Live Auction Tuesday night, in the Student Union ballroom.
According to Erin Frye, the chapter secretary of Tri Sigma, approximately 40 items were auctioned off, including some donations by the local businesses of Farmville, such as dresses from Karen’s Bridal, gift cards to Carter’s Flower Shop and Main Street Lanes. The auction was set up to help fund the financially struggling non-profit organization of Northfield Ministries, a home for women who are suffering from eating disorders, depression and instances of self-harm.
The co-founder of the organization, Gwen Seiler, who was in attendance, and even did a little bit of bidding herself, expressed her thankfulness to the women of Tri Sigma and the importance of their charity before the auction began. “I can’t even begin to say thanks enough to these Tri Sig girls,” said Seiler from the stage.
Seiler continued, “It’s [Northfield] a venture that not everybody is, if you haven’t been touched by it or don’t understand eating disorders, sometimes people are not as apt to give to this as they might be toward drugs and alcohol, for instance, where so many people know others
who’ve been impacted. But the fact of the matter is out of every woman, approximately one out of five have been impacted at some level by eating disorders.”
Seiler went on to explain and thank Tri Sigma for all they had done so far by volunteering at the home. After she finished her speech, Tri Sigma presented a grateful Seiler with a check of $1,789 to go toward the organization.
Soon after the presentation of the check, the bidding began. While the audience was initially quiet at the beginning, people did eventually start to bid and several times throughout the night, friendly bidding wars erupted. Great deals such as $20 dresses from Karen’s, a pair of Busch Garden’s Christmas Town tickets for under $60, Longwood apparel, decorative gifts and even handmade corn hole boards. After the bidding had ended, $748.75 had been raised; resulting in a total of $2,537.75 that was raised in total throughout the night.
Earlier in the night, Seiler stated that many of the girls that they come in contact with feel like they aren’t worth the help and that their ministry is out to show that they are in fact worth all of the effort. With a donation of over $2,500 raised, Tri Sigma has showed that they believe those women are of great worth.
If you wish to get involved or want to learn more about Northfield Ministries please visit their website: http://www.northfieldministries. com
Sisters of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority pose as they present their donation check to Gwen Seiler, co-founder of Northfield Minitries.
