Musical fraternity shows out for breast cancer

The sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota put on a musicale to raise awareness for breast cancer research on Oct. 2. The concert was held in Max Noah Recital Hall, and attracted a small but enthusiastic group of spectators. The venue and the performers were bedecked in pink, paying homage to the cause of the night.

“It’s an annual thing for breast cancer awareness month,” said Tiffany Timmerman, president of Sigma Alpha Iota. “All our donations go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.”

The musicale was in the works from the beginning of the semester.

“Since the first weekend (of school), we’ve been working on it,” said junior psychology major Stacy Troutt.

Their work paid off. 11 sisters came together to perform some inspirational music. They opened with the Sigma Alpha Iota Chorale, a song known by all Sigma Alpha Iota sisters. Some of the songs were familiar tunes, such as Amazing Grace.

Troutt performed a solo to Only Hope, a song best known from the movie A Walk to Remember.

“I’ve always loved the song. It’s meaningful to me,” she said.
Apart from singing, the sisters took interludes to observe their cause. Kimberly Marsh read the story of Susan G. Komen, the foundation’s namesake, whose battle with breast cancer has raised awareness for the last 25 years.

“We had a couple of sisters dedicate candles,” said Becca Dinoff, service chair of Sigma Alpha Iota.

The candle dedication was held in honor or memory of women who have fought breast cancer. Audience members were invited to light candles that lined the railing in front of the stage.

After the show was over, the sisters conducted a raffle, with prizes from local businesses such as Deano’s Pizza, The Brick and Initial This. The big prize of the night was a trip to St. Simon’s Island. They also held a silent auction for elaborately decorated cakes by the sisters.

Sigma Alpha Iota is a women’s musical fraternity. Through their common interest in music, they have participated in other service projects in the community, such as Meals on Wheels. This event has been a tradition for the group for many years.

“We’ve done it every year and it’s a lot of fun,” said Reba Gnann, a senior history major and Sigma Alpha Iota sister.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 10 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry