Gamma Beta Phi will host a gala to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Saturday. The event is oriented toward giving people in the Starkville community an easy opportunity to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The gala, A Night for St. Jude, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to Gamma Beta Phi Service Chairman Jacob Lanier, Gamma Beta Phi is one of MSU’s largest general honor societies.
“Our members are in the top 20 percent of their class, and have a service mindset, together completing hundreds of hours of service each semester,” said program director Emily McCabe.
McCabe will open the event before introducing two guest speakers from St. Jude.
“The evening will include catered dinner, the live Famous Maroon Jazz Ensemble, a silent auction, two guest speakers from St. Jude and interactive exhibits,” McCabe said.
The two guest speakers McCabe will introduce are Mariana Santana, a biomedical engineering senior who did a summer internship with St. Jude, and Brittany Clark, St. Jude Program Specialist.
“A few years ago, the national Gamma Beta Phi chapters came together to donate thousands of books to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” Lanier said. “Since then, MSU’s local Gamma Beta Phi chapter has annually supported St. Jude, taking multiple trips per school year to bring donations and tour the hospital.”
He said this year is specifically different than the previous years because “this year, we decided to take our fundraising and support of St. Jude to the next level with a goal to bring the community together for one night to support the St. Jude children.”
Tickets are available for $30 at www.NightforStJude.com, and a limited amount of tickets will be available at the doors.
These tickets include a catered dinner for the guests. All of the profits made from selling tickets for the gala will be donated directly to St. Jude.
There will also be a silent auction.
“We will have many unique items from local vendors and organizations,” Lanier said. “Right now, our silent auction includes a signed basketball by Ben Howland, free golf at the MSU Golf Course and more.”
The honor society is hosting A Night for St. Jude as an attempt to bring in more substantial donations by gathering the community together for support. The group hopes this will be an annual event.
Lanier said the event will also feature displays and activities to help attendees learn more about St. Jude.
Not only will the event focus on raising money for the cause, but Lanier said it “will have displays and activities for attendees to learn more about what St. Jude’s operations look like day to day.”