Raising $11,800 for Sigma Serves Children, March of Dimes and their building fund, NSU’s Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority hosted its eighth, and possibly last, Dancing with the Sigmas on March 28.
Dancing with the Sigmas, a play on the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” is the sorority’s annual philanthropic fundraising event.
In its eight-year run, the event has raised over $77 thousand for their charity event.
While the sorority originally planned for this to be its final Dancing with the Sigmas, Abby Reynolds, senior and Sigma Sigma Sigma president, said they are reconsidering keeping it following calls to do so.
Reynolds said the original reason for dropping the competition was to give the community a “new and exciting” philanthropic event.
Like its TV namesake, Dancing with the Sigmas features a dancer and “celebrity” partner competing for the chance to win the mirror ball trophy.
The “celebrity” performers are male members of the Natchitoches community, and their partners are members of the sorority.
This year’s winners were Dr. Chris Lyles, assistant professor for the School of Biological and Physical Sciences, and Libby Blair, junior member of Sigma Sigma Sigma.
“I was truly shocked when Dr. Lyles and I won,” Blair said.
Since joining the sorority, Blair said she has always wanted to participate in Dancing with the Sigmas but was concerned about not knowing how to do the choreography.
Kara Davis, senior and chairwoman of Dancing with the Sigmas, assured Blair she would have help from the other sisters when learning the dance moves.
Davis said her committee found the celebrity dancers at the end of January and began practicing in February. Each team chose their own theme, music and costumes.
“I am greatly pleased with the outcome of this year’s Dancing with the Sigmas,” Davis said. “It is humbling to see our community come together to raise money for our philanthropy and house fund.”
Another participant, senior Katie Baronne, danced with Matt Clark for their performance. She said the competition was a lot of fun.
“The guys are such good sports,” Baronne said. “They get up there and give it their all every year, and it always makes for a good show.”