Othello women’s organization fundraises thousands for food bank
Kristine Robertson, Guiomar Azevedo, Sheila Simmons, Blanca Garcia, Terry Eagy, Linda Brady, and Debbie Pegram, Food Bank volunteer Terry Thompson and Facilities Director Jose Garza worked together via their group Xi Beta Xi to raise money for their local food bank.
COURTESY PHOTO/XI BETA XI
OTHELLO — Xi Beta Xi, one of three Beta Sigma Phi chapters in Othello, recently presented the Othello Food Bank with $3,600 raised during the organization’s annual silent auction in October.
Xi Beta Xi Secretary Linda Brady explained the fundraiser.
“We've been doing it since like, by 2013. It's been at least 10 years, maybe a little more,” Brady said. “All proceeds go to the local food bank.”
Beta Sigma Phi is an international non-academic sorority group founded in 1931, according to the BSP website. The website said that despite its main purpose being a friendship organization, many chapters participate in service projects and philanthropy.
Brady said the fundraiser originated when Xi Beta Xi recognized the Othello Food Bank’s need for support and decided to help them.
The $3,600 is a very good amount of money raised compared to the organization’s past ears of holding the event, Brady said.
“When we started out it was just, say $1,000, and it seems like every year people just are more generous,” she said. “The Food Bank, they really appreciate it.”
Brady spoke about the silent auction itself, hosted at the Othello Eagles Aerie No. 3396 building.
“For two years, we actually did drive-by donations for the Food Bank because of COVID. But typically, we go to the Othello Eagles … We invite the three (Beta Sigma Phi) groups and we invite friends of ours or whatever. So it is for the groups but it's also public a little bit.”
Brady said the auctioned items are similar to most silent auctions.
“Each one of our groups is responsible for bringing two items, and they're never used. They're always new. There’s baskets, and then we do get donations from some of the businesses around here also.”
A statement from Xi Beta Xi thanked those who helped raise funds.
“We want to thank the Othello Eagles Aerie No. 3396 for allowing our group to host the auction there,” the statement said. “We would also like to thank all of the people who donated items and their time to come to our event. Our community has always been so generous.”
According to a statement by the Othello Food Bank, some of the money from the fundraiser will be used for the recently revived Bite2Go program, a partnership between the Othello Food Bank, Second Harvest and the Othello School District that provides food for children who may not have enough to eat outside of school.
Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.