Alpha Chi Omega hosted their philanthropy event of the semester at their house on Fairview Avenue, on Sun. Oct 26 from 7 to 11 p.m.

Alpha Chis and Pies as it has come to be known is Alpha Chi Omega’s fall philanthropic event. The ladies kindly opened their house to students, faculty and staff in order help raise money for the sorority’s philanthropy. Alpha Chi’s philanthropy is the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation, which works to spread awareness on domestic violence.

In order to get support for the foundation, the sisters took up baking in order to produce a delicious dessert bar that featured almost evey pie imaginable. Not only did they have a plethora of pie, but the ladies also have wide variety of other sweets. In addition to all of the sugary goodness, they also had every college student’s favorite kind of pie, pizza. For just four dollars students could purchase a plate that earned them one trip down the dessert bar and unlimited drinks. For only two dollars more, students could go back to the dessert bar time and time again.

This year’s Alpha Chis and Pies was a successful event. Roughly the ladies have earned 1, 057.90 dollars to donate to help shelters and spread awareness about domestic violence. If you divide that by six dollars a plate for unlimited, then the ladies saw roughly 175 people come to support their event, probably even more as not all college kids could afford or the stomach the six dollar unlimited deal and paid four towards the good cause.

When asked how the event has an impact outside of Millikin, Emily Briggs, Vice President of Philanthropy, said, “The money that we raise typically goes to the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation, which the foundation basically filters out the money to different shelters and places of need that deal with the domestic violence awareness. So, all of this money will filter back to the local Dove Shelter. Which is a shelter for women and children of domestic violence.”

This is Alpha Chis and Pie fourth year. Originally, the ladies of Alpha Chi hosted a Dove Walk in order to raise money for their philanthropy, but they have since traded in their running shoes for aprons.

Emily Briggs, Vice President of Philanthropy, said, “So it’s still kind of a baby we’re still trying to grow it.”

When asked why she thought the event was important and needs to happen is due to the lack of notice people have been paying to domestic violence until recently. According to SafeHorizon.com one in four women become the victim of domestic violence, and women ages 20 to 24 are placed at the in risk of becoming a victim.

Briggs said, “Something really special about our philanthropy that we raise money for is that it’s not something that is upfront in the media all the time. Lately, it has been brought to the forefront because of everything that has been happening, but up until this we haven’t really had a lot of awareness happening for domestic violence and I think that this is something you don’t hear enough about, and that it is such a problem. I think that’s something that really sets our events apart is that it is for something that people are less educated about.”