The Delta Gamma sorority at LSU hosted its annual Anchor Bowl flag football tournament Sunday at the UREC to raise money for the sorority’s philanthropic effort, Service for Sight.
The Delta Gamma vice president of foundation and animal sciences senior Anya Ferruzzi explained that Service for Sight supports the blind or visually impaired.
Delta Gamma members fundraised through MemberPlanet, an online platform many Greek organizations use. The flag football players, who were mainly fraternity members or friends of Delta Gammas, each paid a $15 entry fee that was donated to Service for Sight.
Additionally, Ferruzzi said that Delta Gamma receives money from businesses that sponsor the Anchor Bowl, like All Star Trophies.
Some of the money that Delta Gamma raised specifically went to providing guide dogs for people who are blind, including those at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, Ferruzzi explained.
The Anchor Bowl was composed of 20 teams, where they each competed in a bracket-style, single-elimination tournament. Delta Gamma will provide TSA, the winning team, with a trip to Topgolf. TSA plays on an intramural team together outside of the Anchor Bowl.
Ferruzzi said the Delta Gamma members did a great job of recruiting guys to be on the flag football teams, with 20 being the maximum number of teams they could have.
One flag football player, mechanical engineering senior Colin Saucier, said he has played in the Anchor Bowl for the past few years to support his girlfriend in Delta Gamma and her sorority. He said his favorite part of the event is the feeling of community and the competitiveness.
In addition to raising money to support the visually impaired, Delta Gamma members also do hands-on volunteer work. Ferruzzi said Delta Gammas volunteer every Wednesday at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired.
“That’s my favorite thing we do because a lot of those kids live in the facility and don’t get to go home every weekend,” Ferruzzi said. “We’re like older sisters to them. For some of them, we’re the one thing throughout their week that stays constant.”
Delta Gamma also has a program called DG Drivers, Ferruzzi said, where some of the sorority’s members drive visually impaired faculty and staff to and from work.
Ferruzzi said she loved seeing everyone come together at the Anchor Bowl to accomplish something good.
“The money we raised through this event really does make such a difference,” Ferruzzi said. “It’s just cool to see what the money is actually going to and how it’s impacting people’s lives.”
