Bulletin News
03/31/2011
Cristina Jardine, the director of the Central New York Chapter for Cystic Fibrosis, will be the guest speaker at the fourth annual Benefit Dinner for Cystic Fibrosis at the Cortland Country Club on Saturday, April 16.
Titled “65 Roses,” the buffet-style dinner, hosted by one of SUNY Cortland’s sororities, Delta Phi Epsilon, will begin at 4 p.m. The majority of proceeds from ticket sales at $40 apiece will go directly towards the sorority’s major philanthropy. The tickets can be purchased at the door or paid in advance.
The event also will feature guest speakers who discuss their own person battles with the disease. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S and about 70,000 people worldwide.
To purchase advance tickets or a t-shirt, contact Korrie Olszewski, Delta Phi Epsilon vice president, at (315) 430 9575 or via email. Visit the website http://www.cff.org/ for more information about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The dinner is called “65 Roses” because some children find those words easier to pronounce than the actual name of the terminal disease, Jardine explains.
She will speak about cystic fibrosis patients she has seen and different success stories in medications and treatments she has encountered. Jardine will also discuss the work that the College’s sorority has done to help raise money for the science and research of cystic fibrosis.
“We fundraise throughout the school year for our philanthropy, which includes participating in the ‘Making Strides’ walks,” Olszewski said. “Last year we raised more than $9,400 towards fighting this devastating illness.”
Donations also will be made using a lottery system. Since April 1, tickets for $10 each have been drawn daily.
The sorority contacts local businesses to seek silent auction donations. An IPod, two plane tickets and gift certificates from local businesses are up for auction by the sorority.
Before the event, Delta Phi Epsilon will sell t-shirts that say “Hoping for a Cure” for $10 apiece. The shirts were donated from apparel company No Let Up, which is based in New York City.
"The t-shirts are geared towards men and women of all ages to promote awareness and a positive message of the importance of remaining hopeful in finding a cure," Olszewski says.
The t-shirts, which are white, will be on sale until the dinner. The front reads ‘Hoping for a Cure,’ and the apparel is decorated with a purple ribbon, which represents cystic fibrosis.
“All 98 sisters will purchase one and sell one,” Olszewski said. “We also have requested a table in Corey Union to sell the remaining shirts.”