The Delta Theta chapter of Sigma Chi at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga to hold a Spring Fling event. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the nation’s largest mentoring organization. Their mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. The event was held on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at the Riverpark.
Every semester Sigma Chi is required to participate in a community service event to give back to the city of Chattanooga. However, the extent of this event went above and beyond the minimum requirement.
Sam Wigger, Annotator and Community Service Chair for Sigma Chi, coordinated this event along with Tina Franklin, the Community-Based Program Director. It was a fun-filled day consisting of field events, an Easter egg hunt, food, face painting, and a demonstration by the Chattanooga Police Department’s K9 unit. There was a total of 76 members of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program in attendance, along with 40 active brothers of Sigma Chi and several alumni brothers. The alumni brothers donated Easter baskets for the children.
The level of participation for the Spring Fling from the active chapter of Delta Theta exemplifies that fraternities are much more than what meets the eyes to non-Greeks. Attendance was not mandatory, yet they took time out of their Sunday to make the event successful and show the children that there are other people out there that care about them. Delta Theta is heavily involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters in other ways as well. One member, Jesus De La Cruz, currently serves as the UTC Bigs president and several brothers are active Big Brothers, serving in both the Community-Based and Site-Based Programs. The event also served as a great recruitment tool for Big Brothers Big Sisters as several brothers expressed an interest in becoming Big Brothers in the future.
The Spring Fling exceeded expectations! The weather cooperated, delaying the rain long enough for the event to take place. Additionally, there were enough activities to cater to all the children. A Little Sister told her Big Sister, “It was the best day of my life!” That was the essence of the event that Tina and Sam were trying to capture. The goal was to give the children a fun, relaxed day where they could connect more with their mentor, and they did just that. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, call 423-698-8016 or visit bbbschatt.org.