Chi Omega Raises Money to Grant Wishes during our 6th Annual Wish Week
September 19th was a special day for Chi Omega as we kicked off our 6th Annual Wish Week! The week is dedicated to fundraising for our philanthropy Make a Wish, which grants wishes for kids fighting unimaginable illnesses. Chi Omega sisters were determined to make this week one for the books, doing everything in their power to raise as much money as possible so we can meet our goal of granting wishes for two kids this year!
We started off the week on Monday night with a kick-off party with Pammie. Pammie has been fighting illness since the day she was born but has refused to give up. Chi Omegas were touched as Pammie, and her mom told us her story and how much getting Pammie’s wish granted meant to their family. Pammie and her family then popped the confetti to begin our 24-hour fundraiser, which began on Monday night and went into Tuesday. Through the online fundraiser, Chi Omega raised $4,566, which exceeded our goal of $3,500! We are so proud of our sisters for working hard to raise this money, which will go towards granting a wish for a child battling a critical illness.
“This wish week, we were so lucky to have Pammie come and kick off our 24 hour fundraising push, which is an online fundraiser for Chi Omega’s philanthropy, Make-A-Wish. Our chapter was so incredibly thankful to have Pammie, her mother, and her siblings join our kickoff celebration. It was truly inspiring to hear Pammie’s story, and it touched the lives of every person there. She is truly an inspiration, and showed each of us the power and impact a Wish can make on the lives of children and their loved ones.” - Aubri McClung, MAW Director, PC ‘20
“Meeting Pammie was by far one of the most special moments I’ve experienced in Chi O. Starting Wish Week with Pammie was special not only because of her inspiring journey, but also her infectious joy and love for life. It’s experiences like these that touch our hearts and remind us of the powerful impact our philanthropy has on so many lives.” - Autumn Carr, PC ‘21
“When I was being recruited as a freshman, Chi O had just thrown Pammie’s wish party. I remember seeing pictures and hearing stories, but nothing lived up to actually meeting Pammie and her sweet family. From hearing Pammie’s mom’s story delivered with such hope, to actually witnessing the impact of a wish as we danced to 90s country with Pammie all night, to running around punching balloons to the sky with her siblings, it was one of the most heartwarming nights of the year. I’m so blessed to get to support Make-A-Wish and see the true impact they have on families lives!” - Makenna Mumm, PC ‘19
Wednesday was our “Donut You Want to Grant a Wish” fundraiser. Chi Omegas could be heard all across campus as we sold donuts, with the proceeds from sales going towards our fundraising total for the week. We had over 300 donuts and ended up selling out! We want to give a huge shout-out to Donut Land for their generous donut donation! We were able to donate even more to MAW because of their donation and are super thankful for their help in making this a great day. Chi Omega sisters had so much fun selling donuts with each other and were seen laughing and smiling all morning.
“Selling donuts on is one of my favorite parts of wish week! I love getting to get the entire campus involved with Make a Wish and raising money to grant a wish with my sisters. It’s so rewarding getting to watch our fellow student body come by, donate, and want to hear more about Make a Wish! - Gabi Blauw, PC ‘19
“Advocating and fundraising for Make-A-Wish Iowa during my time as Chi Omega’s Make-A-Wish Director has been so fun! As a senior, this is my last Wish Week, so having Pammie kick off our fundraiser was so special to me. I am so thankful to be a part of a chapter that has such an impact on so many kiddos’ lives in more ways than one. Aubri and I had an army of people helping us sell donuts and raise awareness for our beloved philanthropy. Seeing how passionate every member of our chapter is about Make-A-Wish truly warms my heart. I have never been more proud of my sisters for the time and energy they put into this year’s Wish Week. I cannot wait to see the other kiddos’ lives this chapter touches throughout years ahead.” - Megan Kurth, MAW Director, PC ‘19
“Selling donuts on T. Anne Cleary Walkway to raise money for Make-A-Wish allowed students all over campus to be involved and share their love for Make-A-Wish with us! It was so fun to connect with others and show them what Chi Omega’s Wish Week is all about. We had one student approach our booth to let us know that he was once granted a Wish, and it made me feel so proud to know that the power of a Wish extends beyond the years Make-A-Wish children are affected by illness. I can’t put into words how impactful this organization is, and I feel more proud than ever to be a part of something so special!” - Aubri McClung, MAW Director, PC ‘20
“Selling donuts on T Anne Cleary for Make A Wish is such an amazing experience. We raised over $1,000 in just 5 hours with the work of our amazing sisterhood. You never know how far a wish goes until you meet a Make-A-Wish child. While selling donuts, a student came up to us and handed us $10. He told us that he didn’t need a donut but wanted to donate because he was a Make-A-Wish child and knows how much a wish changes a child’s life. A little donut can truly go a long way. So thankful to be involved in such an amazing philanthropy.” - Anna Hamling, PC ‘20
“Selling donuts on campus was a great experience, and I loved involving our university in Make-A-Wish! Getting to spend time with the girls while also including other students in this amazing organization was so much fun! I could tell it made a huge impact on other students and how they viewed Make-A-Wish!” - Juliet Gratias, PC ‘21
To wrap up Wish Week, we hosted our annual Golf Classic event on Sunday, the day after Dude’s Day, so most of our dudes were able to participate. Chi Omegas caddy for the event, and we had over 100 golfers, making for a great turnout and a ton of fun! Whether dudes golf every weekend or hardly golf at all, it was still apparent that everyone was having a great time. The proceeds from this event also went to MAW, as well as all proceeds from our charity golf hole. This event brought in $3,524 alone, which is incredible!
“Golf Classic was so amazing to be a part of!!!! It was so fun to see all the dads interacting and doing something they love while also supporting our incredible philanthropy. Golf classic always brings the brightest of smiles and the fullest of laughs – this year was no exception! Shoutout to our awesome Director Caitlin Korinek for making this event so special this year!” - Jamison Feldman, PC ‘20
“My dad and I loved every second of getting to know the other dads and daughters in Chi O! It was so much fun getting to do something we love to do together while making an impact on the kids. I will always cherish the memories I have made at golf classic with my dad!” - Abby Martindale, PC ‘21
“I had a great time at Chi Omega Dudes Weekend. I enjoyed hanging out with my daughter, her friends, and their dads (and some moms), watching a Hawkeye football victory, and playing golf in support of Make-A-Wish. Looking forward to next year!” - Erik Monson (Meredith’s Dad)
Overall, this Wish Week was more successful than we could have anticipated. We had so much fun working together on a common goal and made countless memories with our sisters in the process. We are so proud of our sisters for all their fundraising efforts and for committing themselves to make this a successful week. The money raised will go towards making kids smile and their dreams come true. We are so thankful to our amazing Make-A-Wish Directors, Aubri and Megan. Their dedication to such an incredible organization is inspiring to us all. We are grateful for another amazing week and can’t wait for our World Wish Day 5K in the Spring!