Phi Sigma Sigma’s Stroke Awareness Event

Playing bingo for a good cause? Sign me up!

In 2011, Loyola student Emily Johnson passed away from a sudden stroke. Among her activities she was involved with on campus, she was a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma, a Panhellenic sorority on campus. So every year they raise money to donate to Rush Hospital, where she was taken, and talk about the warning signs of a stroke to students on campus.

The culmination of their efforts is a Brunch and Bingo event, held just this past Sunday and catered by Panera. A $5 entry fee – or $15 if you also wanted a t-shirt – nets you the brunch and two bingo cards. 

The food was so delicious, as is expected of Panera. And the whole of Rambler Room was packed, which made me glad – I’m sure Phi Sigma Sigma raised a lot of money and was able to help out a lot.

All of the sisters were wearing red and white, and the tables were, as you can see in the picture, filled with red bows with FAST written on them – the acronym for stroke warning signs. Facial drooping. Arm weakness. Speech difficulties. and Time. All things to keep in mind when you may be having a stroke or seeing someone else – the imperative is to get them hospitalized if the FAS in FAST is noticed.

When it came to the bingo – I actually won! They hadn’t exactly calculated for two winners, so they only had three prizes left for the three rounds left (I don’t really know what was going on, it was possibly one of the most confusing rounds of bingo I’d ever played) so the other winner and I flipped a coin and she ended up with a bag of coffee beans and I got four free sandwich coupons to Potbelly’s. Seeing as I gave them to the friends I had gone there with and we made plans to go eat using them later, I think I was the real winner. But that’s beside the point.

 

In addition to prizes, they also had a raffle to call winners who could then purchase bigger prizes, like a signed Blackhawks jersey or tickets to a Bulls game.

All in all, it was a lovely morning, and I’m glad my money was well-spent – both on breakfast for me, and for Rush Hospital, doing good in the world.