Kappa Sigma Fraternity raised $5,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network this past weekend in a Mardi Gras celebration that came a week early.
The fraternity’s first Mardi Gras Ball benefitted the network, a nonprofit organization working to generate funds and increase awareness for the benefit of children in more than 170 associated hospitals around the country. The Children’s Miracle Network is an arm of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.
All funds raised in Baton Rouge for the Children’s Miracle Network stay in the city to help purchase equipment, create educational programs and provide care for children who otherwise could not afford it, said Paul Govan, chairman of the Kappa Sigma philanthropy committee and a civil engineering sophomore.
Every guest who attended the ball had to buy a ticket, which cost $8 at the door, or $7 in advance. Ticket sales were the main source of revenue, Govan said.
Michael Busada, Kappa Sigma President and political science senior, said the Mardi Gras Ball was an effort to reach outside Kappa Sigma’s immediate community.
“We want this to grow beyond LSU into the Baton Rouge community,” Busada said.
Busada said he hopes the charity event will shed new light on Greek organizations on campus.
“This is our way of highlighting all the positive aspects of the Greek community,” Busada said.
On Thursday night, sororities presented maids, who competed in a talent competition to be queen of the ball.
In addition to the talent show, criteria to become queen included a competition for banners decorated by contestants’ sorority sisters and the highest number of attendees listed as each contestant’s guests.
Govan said the idea for this unprecedented event has been in development for the past three years.
He also said he and the rest of the committee chose the Children’s Miracle Network because it provided the greatest opportunity to give back to the Baton Rouge community.
“The money we raised will stay in Baton Rouge,” Govan said. “Our Lady of the Lake will get everything.”
On Friday night, Sydney Brown, a marketing and business administration freshman and member of Zeta Tau Alpha, was crowned queen of the ball in the Holiday Inn Select ballroom.
Brown performed a song from the musical “The Secret Garden” called “How Could I Ever Know?” in the talent competition.
Brown said the Children’s Miracle Network drew her to the ball.
“These are kids who really aren’t having a childhood,” Brown said. “The Children’s Miracle Network tries to give kids a shot at a normal life.”