AOII Annual Pie Sale Raises Money for Arthritis Foundation in Mississippi

The women of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority are easing those with arthritis, one slice at a time.

During the Ole Miss AOII Nu Beta’s annual Pie Sale, the women sought to raise money for their national philanthropy, the Arthritis foundation, through ticket sales and selling whole pies.

With a high turnout of attendees in previous years, AOII has continued their Pie Sale night as it serves as one of the sororities main events for their philanthropic donations.

This year’s Pie Sale on Nov. 16 was held at the AOII house on the Ole Miss campus, and the sorority opened up their doors to over 800 people. According to AOII’s National Philanthropy Chair Emily Harral, around one thousand tickets were sold for the pie sale.

With an all-American theme of red white and blue, tables were decorated and the house was transformed. Tables were set up lining the walls of the AOII house and dining room, with separate areas for each pie. The house also had a designated “Pie Photobooth” area where you could snap a photo enjoying your slice with friends.

Harral estimated over 250 whole pies were sold, which, combined with ticket sales, put the entire raised amount of the event over $10,000.

“This event has a special place in the heart of AOII Nu beta,” Harral said. “It has an even bigger place in the heart of the people in Mississippi with arthritis because the Arthritis foundation does not have an office in the state of Mississippi.”

“With the help of the donations from the pie sale, AOII can also specifically help pay for a child with arthritis’ treatments, and also ensure she has a fun time with us in the midst of her condition,” said AOII’s National Philanthropy Chair for 2017, Elizabeth Ward.

Because of the lack of a source for donations, AOII’s philanthropy events serve as the primary events in the entire state of Mississippi to contribute to the cause.

“As a result of that, we are their only source of funding in the state of Mississippi,” Harral said. “All of the money we raise goes back into the community around us to ensure that there is not a single Mississippian that has to suffer from arthritis without the support of the Arthritis Foundation.”

AOII’s president, Sara Box, said the Pie sale is more than just about raising money; it’s also about raising awareness.

“Since Mississippi doesn’t have an arthritis center, our chapter is really the only awareness the state has,” Box said.

Through a variety of pie options, attendees of the event enjoyed Key Lime, Cherry, Chocolate, Pecan or Pumpkin pie. All of the women active in the AOII sorority served and worked the event as well.

“This is a traditional event for us, and it has been around for about a decade now,” Harral said. 

Senior AOII Member Elise Jones also said the event was one of her favorites while serving the community.

“I love helping people, and AOII has given me the opportunity to help people of all ages through our philanthropy events,” Jones said.

“It is always a blast getting to spend time with our sisters and help the community, but this event shows us how lucky each one of us are and how much of an impact we can have on the community,” Harral said.

According to the AOII sorority communications, over one million dollars has been raised by AOII to help researchers find a cure for the disease. Through donations from AOII alumnae, collegiate members and the general public, grants are funded for arthritis research, education and prevention. AOII raised over $560,000 in 2015 for arthritis research.

Arthritis affects 50 million Americans today with 300,000 of them being children. The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to support research to find the cure for and prevention of arthritis and to improve the quality of life for those affected by it through treatment and educational and emotional support programs. The Arthritis Foundation currently provides more than $20 million in grants to more than 300 researchers to help find a cure, prevention or better treatment for arthritis.

Tickets for the pie sale entry sold at $3, and the event lasted from 6 to 8 p.m. According to Harral, AOII raised over $9,500 through their pie sale event last year and are expecting another great year of donations from Wednesday’s event.

By Chandler Morgan, a student of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. She can be reached at chandlermorgannews@gmail.com.