AOII Fall Philanthropy Event

By Carly Wiseman

IMC Student

A philanthropy event full of music, pizza, and pies, the “AOPizza Pie Sale” is the place to go today.

The Alpha Omicron Pi sorority of the University of Mississippi will host the first annual “AOPizza Pie Sale” to benefit the sorority’s philanthropy, the National Arthritis Foundation.

The event will be held at The Oxford Lodge at 360 Highway 315. Doors will open at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 each. The purchase allows for entry into the concert and a slice of pizza. With the help of some of Oxford’s favorites, the pizza will be catered by Fergndan’s Pizza Company and the concert performed by Happy Landing. For additional $5 through cash or Venmo, you can pie an AOII in the face at the event.  

Additionally, the chapter sold whole pies for $15 by pre-order to ensure delivery before Thanksgiving. Pies will be ready for pickup on Nov. 17.

“I am most excited to see this event finally put into motion, and really, to see it bring the community together for the purpose of our philanthropy’s benefit,” Coordinator of Community Engagement chair Kenlee McDaniel said. “It’s super exciting. I can’t wait to see where this goes and what it will look like five years down the road when it starts to really get moving and set in place as an annual event for our sorority.”

Last year, the AOII chapter raised more than $30,000 for The National Arthritis Foundation from events at the AOII sorority house and within the Oxford community. 

The money and the donations raised will be given to the Arthritis Foundation to support arthritis research, Juvenile Arthritis Power Packs, Juvenile Arthritis Camps and Conferences, and much more. 

“It’s so touching to see that we are able to raise the amount of money we do just from our chapter alone. Knowing that it benefits the children with arthritis is very touching, I love that we raise awareness for Juvenile arthritis as it’s not something that is thought of to happen to younger people,” McDaniel said. 

Juvenile arthritis, also known as pediatric rheumatic disease, is an umbrella term to describe the inflammatory and rheumatic diseases that develop in children under the age of 16. Nearly 300,000 children and teens are affected by this in the United States alone.

“In a few short months I’ll be graduating and becoming an AOII alum, a very bittersweet point in time for me especially when it comes to something like this. I plan to keep up with the progression of our chapter and see this event hopefully flourish and the impact we make from the benefits we raise for our philanthropy,” senior Madison Hartman said.

With the excitement of the AOPizza Pie Sale, AOII is ready to serve the community and the chapter’s philanthropy.