STORY BY EMILY BENNIGSDORF
The sisterhood of Sigma Alpha reaches farther than just within one chapter and once the Fort Hays State University’s Beta Mu chapter heard news of the Nebraska floods, a committee was quickly formed and a donation station was set up for March 28th at Orscheln Farm and Home from 5:00-7:00pm and March 29th at Tractor Supply from 5:00-7:00pm.
The donations that the sorority was given were plentiful. Some of the largest donations included an elderly couple who bought 25 cases of water at Orscheln Farm and Home, ten 50 pound bags of cattle feed, bags of milk replacer, and more.
The Hays community jumped in on helping their neighbors in delivering as many supplies as they could provide. The news of the shoe donation has made national coverage and the sisters could not be any more thrilled to get more awareness out there about relief help.
Baley Doggett, a junior at Fort Hays State University and one of the committee members in the sorority, said, “I thought that we received an impressive amount of items needed in just the two days we were collecting. I think that even though as a whole our impact might have been small, the individual lives it touched was huge. Just glad we were able to do our small part for those in need.”
The sorority was able to team up with a 4-H club called the Western Wranglers in Rozel and Burdett, Kansas. The supplies were taken up to the Wilcox-Hildreth FFA chapter in Nebraska where they will distribute the supplies to farmers and families.
The sorority ended up collecting all of the following supplies:
- 15 Small bags of milk replacer
- 4 Large bags of milk replacer
- 75 cases of water
- 4 bags of woodchips
- 6 tarps
- 8 packages of fencing insulators
- 113 pairs of shoes
- 6-5 gallon buckets
- Hygiene products
- 5 shovels
- 39 long T-posts
- 26 short T-posts
- 4 rolls of wire
- 40 bags of feed (for multiple animals)
The 4-H group was able to collect:
- Pallet of bottled water/powerade
- 15 pairs of rubber boots
- 5 tons of feed for cattle and horses
- Pallet of cat and dog food
- Cleaning supplies
- Shampoo and soap
- 700 fence posts
- Enough wire for 9 miles of electric fence
This semi was loaded down with donations.
Picture by: Erin Josefiak
All donations put together from the sorority and the 4-H club.
Picture by: Erin Josefiak
Kacie Timmons, Josilyn Lutze, Dani Mangus, and Emily Bennigsdorf excited about the amount of donations in Emily’s car.
Picture by: Tiffany McCaffrey
The trucks and cars loaded down by the sorority donations to drop the items off to Erin Josefiak.
Pictured left to right: Jenna Berkgren, Kory Ridnour, Baley Doggett, Morgan Claassen, Selena Fornander, Josilyn Lutze, Emily Bennigsdorf, and Kendra Brummer.
Photo by: Michael Schmidt