Pledge cheer up sick children

For most people, Valentine's Day connotes boxes of expensive chocolate, scented cards and roses by the dozen. For the pledges of Alpha Chi Omega, however, the holiday had a different meaning this year. The sorority organized a Valentine's Day weekend volunteer event for its pledges at the Children's Seashore House, which provides care and living accommodations for children with developmental disabilities, chronic illnesses and other conditions that require long-term rehabilitation. The facility is located at 3405 Civic Center Blvd. About 15 of the sorority's pledges went to the Seashore House Sunday afternoon to decorate the recreation center in the atrium of the third floor with construction paper hearts and banners. They then visited some of the children individually in their rooms. Afterwards, many of the children joined the students in the recreation center to make valentines. The pledges and children sat together around tables littered with red and pink construction paper, glitter and glue and worked on the holiday crafts. Since some of the children were unable to walk out to the recreation center by themselves, students helped to wheel beds out to the atrium, allowing the children to watch and participate in the activities in the recreation center. After an hour of cutting, pasting and drawing, the children were surprised by a loud banging at a door leading into the recreation center. In bounded the Philly Phanatic, whose appearance had been arranged by a member of Alpha Chi Omega. Dancing and kissing his way around the room, the Phanatic had his picture taken with all the children in the recreation center. He also visited the children who were unable to leave their rooms due to their sicknesses. The Valentine's Day celebration was organized by College senior Amanda Turkus and Wharton junior Katy Stock, members of Alpha Chi Omega who are responsible for introducing pledges to the sorority's activities. Stock, the sorority's assistant vice president of new member education, explained that the event was an attempt to educate the pledges about the public service activities of the organization, which she described as "an aspect that people forget about sororities." While Alpha Chi Omega does other philanthropic activities such as serving food at soup kitchens and organizing AIDS benefit parties, Stock said the Seashore House event was an opportunity to get the pledges involved directly in the community. Turkus, who is vice president of new member education, explained that she believed it was important to have the pledges do "something different and worthwhile" for community service, adding that to her knowledge no other sorority had organized an event similar to this one. Annie Kluetmeier, an Engineering sophomore and one of the pledges present for the activity, expressed enthusiasm for the hours she spent entertaining the children. "It's so great to see these kids so happy and having a good time," she said.