Allie Blakeman sits at a table in the Idaho Commons to raise money and awareness for women’s heart health, the Alpha Phi Philanthropy.
The American Heart Association reports that one in every three women die each year from cardiac disease — a threat that the Alpha Phi sorority at the University of Idaho takes very seriously.
“Cardiac disease is the No. 1 killer of women and it’s something we really care about,” said Micaela Iveson, a volunteer for Alpha Phi’s annual Take it to Heart Week. “We all are as involved as we can be.”
The event was held this year from Feb. 10-14, and included a pie-eating contest, an auction for fraternity men to bid on dates with Alpha Phi women called “Alphatraz” and a table in the Idaho Commons that sold chocolate roses for Valentine’s Day. These events and others held throughout the week brought in more than $1,250.
Proceeds went to the Alpha Phi Foundation’s Forget Me Not Fund, a charity for Alpha Phi alumni suffering from severe financial or medical difficulty, and the Heart to Heart Grant, which funds medical research for cardiac disease and helps spread awareness of how the disease affects men and women differently.
Contributions made through the UI Alpha Phi chapter comprise only a small fraction of the total donations collected each year, but that doesn’t curb local members’ enthusiasm.
“This is our big week, and then in the fall we have the Red Dress Poker Tournament during Dad’s Weekend,” said Maddie Zigler, who serves as philanthropy chair for Alpha Phi.
Ticket sales drive the fundraising for the event, spurred by free food, prizes and the chance for players to practice their poker faces for a good cause, Zigler said.
“There are definitely a lot of events,” said Iveson, now in her fourth year as a member of Alpha Phi. “But I think it’s cool to have our awareness raised about issues prevalent in the community and nationally.”
Daniel Durand can be reached at [email protected]