By; Bianca Viana
Every year Delta Phi Epsilon (Dphie) holds their annual 65 Roses Gala to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This year, however, things looked very different as their gala, held on October 28, was fully virtual. The sisters of Dphie organized a CrowdChange this year as a means of purchasing raffle tickets and making donations. This year’s gala was one of the most successful yet, with the sorority raising a record-breaking $7,388.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. Thick and sticky mucus clogs the lungs and obstructs the pancreas. CF has no known cure to date. The gala gets its name of 65 Roses from a young boy who was diagnosed with CF who was unable to pronounce the name of his disease. The event is held to raise awareness about CF and all proceeds are then donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, one of Delta Phi Epsilon's philanthropies.
This year the gala featured guest speaker Amanda Prestia, a DPHIE alumnae and a person who has CF, and trivia about CF. The event had a turnout of over 200 students, as well as family and friends.
“A lot of hard work, strategic planning, collaboration and advertising went into this year’s gala,” said Nicole Fabian Peña, the vice president of philanthropy (VPP) for Delta Phi Epsilon. She added that with a completely virtual event “…this year more than ever before it was up to the sisters to make sure we were promoting the event, raising awareness about cystic fibrosis and fundraising as much as we could to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fund research to make CF stand for Cure Found!”
Peña said that since fundraising is a very big part of the 65 Roses Gala, the sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon made every effort they could to spread the word.
“With all of the generous contributions of our family and friends we were able to surpass our goal and raise $7,388, more than we have ever heard of our chapter raising,” she said.
Peña is a senior, so along with many in Dphie, this was her last gala as an active sister. As VPP, she turned her dreams and goals into a reality with this year’s gala. “The most rewarding thing about this gala was the sense of excitement and support that was felt prior, during and after,” she said. “Despite it being virtual this year, it still felt as magical and inspirational as it is in person.”
Peña spoke about this year’s guest speaker, Amanda Prestia. “In addition, seeing the genuine joy of our wonderful speaker, Amanda Prestia, was incredibly moving and reminded me why this philanthropy is so close to my heart and the hearts of our sisters! I think that the 65 Roses Gala was a complete success.”
Carla Crump, a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon said, “Our recent gala really showed what Delta Phi Epsilon stands for as a sorority. It showed that we as a sisterhood put so much effort in our philanthropies and want to raise awareness for all that are going through CF. Seeing the expression on [Amanda’s face] after we shared how much money we raised was just so heartwarming and how just the littlest thing can really make a big difference in someone's life!”