Pancakes were flipping in the Student Center on Monday evening when Delta Omega hosted a Waffle and Pancake Bar to raise money and awareness for Rett Syndrome.
Delta Omega’s Philanthropy Chair, senior Rebecca Shannon, organized the fundraiser for a little girl named Blakely Goodman who the club has a special connection with.
“She [Blakely] has Rett Syndrome, which is a rare genetic disease, and we are here tonight to try to raise money in order to find a cure,” Shannon said. “We figured that pancakes and waffles would be the perfect late night snack for students on a Monday night. We just try to do everything we can to give back to the community and especially Blakely.”
At the fundraiser, the club sold pancakes and waffles for $2 each, with all-you-can-eat pancakes and waffles for $5. Delta Omega raised over $500 total.
Rett Syndrome is a disease that affects one in 10,000 girls. It is a rare genetic disease and has many different varieties, but overall it takes away your five motor skills.
Delta Omega senior Brennan Boucher has known the Goodman family personally for several years, so for her senior year, she wanted the club’s philanthropy focus to be on helping Blakely and raising money to find a cure for Rett syndrome.
“She [Blakely] was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome when she was about three years old,” Boucher said. “She’s six now and is doing great, but she is still trying to overcome this disease.
“Delta Omega is hosting this event to try to raise money to find a cure for Rett. There is a cure, and it could be found in Blakely’s lifetime, but we’re trying to figure out the next steps right now. We are trying to spread the word that Rett Syndrome is real, and it is happening.”
On Wednesday, it was announced that Blakely won the Revlon competition. She was awarded $25,000 for research and a trip to NYC for a photo-shoot. She will also be able to pitch a promotion idea to help raise awareness for Rett Syndrome.
For more information on Rett Syndrome, visit www.rettsyndrome.org.
Photo by Whitney Smith