Kappa Sigma Fraternity raised a record-breaking $556,000 for its philanthropy, Reclaimed Project, while hosting the annual Charity Bowl on March 1 at Davis Wade Stadium.
Before the Charity Bowl, fraternities across campus bid thousands of dollars on the chance to play Kappa Sigma in the Charity Bowl, with all proceeds going to the philanthropy. This year’s event featured a full-contact football game between Kappa Sigma and Pi Kappa Alpha. Kappa Sigma won the game 24-6.
“The bids usually come out to around five to 10,000 dollars,” said Nick House, a senior biomedical engineering major and the president of Kappa Sigma. “That money gets us started on raising it.”
Last year, Kappa Sigma raised $328,000, which set both an MSU and Southeastern Conference record for the most money raised in a single philanthropy event. This year’s fundraising efforts shattered the previous record, largely due to a change in strategy. Instead of beginning the Charity Bowl process in January, Kappa Sigma started collecting funds in August.
“The biggest thing we did is we started opening donations sooner,” House said. “We usually open donations in January and then have the money by March. This year, we opened in August, which gave us more time. We took trips to different places and presented ourselves. It just ended up working out for us.”
The day began with a sorority cheer competition, in which Kappa Delta took first place with its cheer and dance routine. At halftime during the football game, Kappa Sigma’s sweetheart, Rylee Yard, a senior marketing major, crowned Abby Wynne, a senior information tech services major who represented Alpha Delta Pi, as Charity Bowl queen. Delta Delta Delta was the overall Charity Bowl sorority competition champion and also won the banner competition. Chi Omega secured first place in the flag football competition held on Feb. 28.
The fundraiser beneficiary is Reclaimed Project, a faith-based nonprofit organization that was founded in Starkville in 2012. Brett Barnhill, the executive director of Reclaimed Project, said that the organization supports children in need.
“We work in the Mississippi Delta, supporting the Quitman County School District by providing certified teachers, mentoring for children and after-school programming,” Barnhill said. “It’s very focused on children in the Mississippi Delta who don’t have much access to great quality education.”
Beyond its local efforts, the Jackson-based nonprofit has an international focus on helping orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho, a small country in South Africa. Some Kappa Sigma members visit the region annually over spring break to assist with projects funded by Charity Bowl proceeds.
“We partner with churches to develop ministries for orphans and vulnerable children, caring for about 130 kids in our programs,” Barnhill said. “This year’s efforts helped launch a new high school, as over 50% of kids in Lesotho do not attend high school. Our mission is to fight for these children while also presenting spiritual truth and meeting their physical needs.”
Reclaimed Project’s connection to Kappa Sigma dates back to its founding when one of the fraternity’s alumni helped establish the nonprofit. When the nonprofit started, Kappa Sigma began giving a portion of the Charity Bowl proceeds to the nonprofit. Barnhill said that Kappa Sigma increased its involvement in and support for Reclaimed Project after members got to see the project’s impact first-hand.
“In 2016, a few of the members traveled to Africa to see firsthand where the funds were going,” Barnhill said. “From that point on, all Charity Bowl support has gone directly to Reclaimed Project.”
