LSU’s Chi Omega Phi Gamma sorority held its annual Swishes for Wishes basketball tournament, a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Wednesday on the UREC basketball courts.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation has been Chi Omega’s national philanthropic partner since 2002. The Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission is to bring joy to children with serious illnesses by granting their wishes. LSU’s Chi Omega chapter helps raise money to make those wishes happen.
Swishes for Wishes is Chi Omega’s largest event of the year. The sorority members spread the word and reached out to friends to form basketball teams to play in the three versus three tournament. One way Chi Omega raised money with this event was selling tickets to attend for $10 and teams paid a registration fee of $60.
Another way Chi Omega raised money was through donations. LSU Chi Omega chapter president CC Ware, a senior biological sciences pre-med major, said that her sorority focused on using social media for outreach and to get donations. She said all of the members posted about Swishes for Wishes, and the Chi Omega Instagram has a link to donate.
Ware said all of the proceeds from the event go straight to Make-A-Wish. The Chi Omega house had food for the basketball teams, pop-up shops and live music. Ware said the vendors that were there agreed to donate some of their proceeds to Make-A-Wish as well.
On the UREC outdoor basketball courts, the teams competed in a single elimination bracket. Freshman finance major Greyson Schwartz, a member of LSU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon sorority, played on a team. He said he has some friends in Chi Omega who told him he could play basketball while supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He had confidence in his team to win.
“If we win, I think we get a chapter night out with Chi Omega, but we also get the good experience of helping kids,” Schwartz said.
During the tournament, the Make-A-Wish children whose wishes Chi Omega is helping grant, actually came and got to enjoy the event. Knahlij is a four-year-old with a brain tumor who wishes to go to Disney World. Jaden, age 10, also has a brain tumor and wants to go to Disney World. Journee is a nine-year-old with a nervous system disorder, and she wishes to go to a wolf sanctuary.
Swishes for Wishes is not the only time Chi Omega raises money to help these children. Ware said the proceeds from any event the sorority hosts during the year goes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“I’m so proud of our philanthropy team, and I’m thankful to represent an organization that makes such a big impact,” Ware said.
