Thursday night, Chi Omega hosted a Mr. Luau competition, which helped the sorority raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Shea Strittmather, the assistant community service and philanthropy chair of Chi Omega, said the event is to help the sorority’s wish child. The child has cystic fibrosis, a lung disease.
“We are trying to send our wish child to Hawaii, which is why [the competition] is a luau theme,” Strittmather said.
The child’s wish is to meet Bethany Hamilton, the surfer who lost her arm to a shark attack and the subject of the 2011 movie Soul Surfer.
Danielle Kutan, Chi Omega community service chair, likes that the sorority’s philanthropy goes to such a worthy cause.
“One-hundred percent of the proceeds goes to Make-A-Wish,” Kutan said.
The winner of the Mr. Luau title will attend the wish party with the members of the sorority and their wish child once they meet their goal.
The six Mr. Luau contestants competed in talent, Q-and-A, speech and hula dancing portions of the competition.
Participants displayed their singing, musical and cheering skills during the talent portion of the competition and showed off their dancing skills during the hula dance portion.
The top three competitors, freshman Keegan McKenna, sophomore Stefan Mohrmann and senior Pedro Petribu will move on to the next step of the competition.
Senior Brian Linehan, junior Charlie Sheehan and junior Shane Bergman were also entered in the competition.
When asked why they should be Mr. Luau, the competitors all agreed that helping Make-A-Wish was their main goal.
“The best gift we can give to someone is hope,” Petribu said.
Linehan entered this competition as a way to support Make-A-Wish and Chi Omega’s philanthropy efforts.
“I’m enthusiastic about philanthropy,” Linehan said. “I want to support Make-A-Wish actively.”
Senior Amanda Fry, a member of Chi Omega, is happy to be helping Make-A-Wish.
“I’m really excited to grant our wish child’s wish,” Fry said. “It’s rewarding to give back to someone so deserving,” she said.
To find out the winner of the competition, attend the Chi Omega Moonball event at The Stroh on Monday Feb. 24. This event, a glow-in-the-dark volleyball tournament, will also help the sorority raise funds for Make-A-Wish.
