All for a good cause
By Jesse Berlin
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Bill Stackman got a pie in the face at Kappa Alpha Theta’s CASA Carnival March 5.
“It kind of started out as a joke, like ‘Oh, we could pie a prominent figure,” said Kappa Alpha Theta’s vice president of external affairs, sophomore Shannon Worley.
The joke turned into a serious proposition when Worley emailed Stackman about the opportunity.
“I love pie, and I love Theta,” Stackman responded. “Count me in!’”
CASA Carnival is Kappa Alpha Theta’s annual spring fundraiser held at their sorority house.
Open to community members of all ages, ticketholders were greeted with free food, face-painting, crafts, a photo booth, and carnival games such as skeeball and cornhole. Then, of course, there was the pie station, where attendees paid to pie people in the face.
People who got pied alongside Dr. Stackman included exec board members, house moms and last year’s Homecoming Queen Madison Herweck.
Seventy percent of the proceeds will go to the Heart of Missouri CASA, a non-profit that trains volunteers, or Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), who advocate for foster care children in court and build positive relationships with them as they move through the system.
“This CASA, this volunteer is someone that just remains a constant person in the life of a foster child,” Worley said since the child is likely going to move from living situation to living situation. “That just really helps with the emotional and social development.”
The remaining proceeds will go to the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, which Worley says helps provide financial support to both alumni and active members of the sorority.
After the weekend, Kappa Alpha Theta was within sight of their $7,500 fundraising goal. “We’re really hoping to reach that,” Worley said.
Worley says Kappa Alpha Theta also worked to increase awareness of not just the CASA organization but the foster care system in general. They put on “educational pieces at the carnival to educate the visitors.”
“Kappa Alpha Theta has a had a long relationship with CASA,” Worley said. “We’re really excited to continue to support them.”