Written by Kim Kokernot
Women’s club Zeta Pi Zeta held its first fundraiser March 24 to 30 to raise money for the Hope Cottage, a shelter for battered women and their children who are escaping abusive relationships.
By taking orders for pies of many different types like apple or peanut butter, the club members raised about $350 for Hope Cottage. More than 150 pies made by Frozen Delite were sold for $10 to $12 each and will be delivered by the middle of next week.The fundraiser’s co-directors Farron Martin and Jennifer Gibson worked with club members to come up with the idea of a pie sale.
“Jennifer and I were trying to think of a good fundraiser for our club to host, and a lot of people wanted to do a bake sale,” Martin said. “However, we wanted to do something different, so Jennifer and I decided to do a play on our club name, and do a pie sale. That’s why we called it the Zeta ‘Pie’ Sale.”
As one of two new girls’ clubs on campus, Zeta Pi Zeta wanted to introduce themselves and their goals as a group through the fundraiser.
“It was our ‘premiere’ as a club,” Gibson said. “Since we were chartered in February, not a lot of people have heard about us, and we needed to make a good impression to Harding and to the community.”
In an effort to make a difference locally, the girls decided to donate money to the shelter that has provided safety for more than 815 women and children since 2004.
“The club chose Hope Cottage because we really believe in the work it’s doing, and we want to help make a change,” Martin said.
According to the White County Domestic Violence Prevention Web site, Hope Cottage provides shelter to women and their children who have left abusive homes, while offering “encouragement, support and options that allow victims of abuse to make informed decisions about their lives.”
The group’s impact on Hope Cottage relied upon the cooperation of more than just club members.
“We received so much support from everyone, including people in the community,” Martin said. “It was great being able to introduce ourselves as a new club, as well as introducing Hope Cottage to more people who were not aware of their organization.”
Zeta Pi Zeta also hopes that this fundraiser will create a legacy for future members to follow.
“Since we’re a new club, we’re trying to make new traditions, and also get people to know who we are on campus,” Martin said. “This was an original idea that, as far as we know, has never been done by another club. We all want the new club to be full of traditions and heritage that make clubs special and memorable.”
