Guy’s social club Sigma Iota Delta reached its goal in raising $10,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through their benefit, GOATFEST.
The club, which is celebrating its 50 year anniversary, held the benefit concert to raise money, and with the help of talented club members, some baby goats and a local girl named Tori, the club was able to promote awareness and meet the financial donation goal.
The music festival was created out of support of Jared Eubanks, a Sigma Iota Delta (SID) brother.
“A couple years ago a brother of ours, Jared, passed away from Cystic Fibrosis,” SID member Sam Hearn said. “We use this event to promote awareness and to raise money for the foundation because it’s a good cause that more people should know about and support.”
Stephen Hemmerly, an active member of SID, said he loves how this opens up the campus and community while bringing in alumni and churches in the surrounding area to support.
“We don’t put SID on any of the merchandise, and even though it is a SID event, we really want to welcome the whole campus,” Hemmerly said.
The stage was filled with college boys performing for most of the night, but a young girl named Tori walked on stage during the event, catching the audience’s attention.
“Tori is a local little girl suffering from Cystic Fibrosis who goes to Hillsboro Church with some of our actives,” Hearn said. “When Jared passed away, it was obvious we wanted to do something to commemorate him, and Tori and her family fit perfectly. Last year was the first time we got to have Tori on stage with us. She steals the show every year.”
Hearn believes Tori’s testimony is one of the most compelling he has ever heard.
“We are so thankful as a club to be a small part of her story and show her we love her, are proud of her and want her to succeed,” Hearn said.
This year GOATFEST runs into SID’s 50th anniversary. Beginning with GOATFEST, the anniversary celebration will continue through the weekend and be finalized with a dinner Saturday night.
“265 people have RSVP’d for the dinner with more to come,” Hearn said. “Tomorrow night is an opportunity to share stories from the present day to the older generations of SID. It’s a way to remember what makes our club, our club.”
Hearn and Hemmerly share a mutual love for SID.
“It means a whole lot that we can all come from such different places and have so many different talents that we use to put on a show like this or intramurals and so on,” Hemmerly said.
“SID is a place where you are allowed and expected to be yourself at all times,” Hearn noted. “It uplifts our strengths, talents and passions. We come together. It is hard to find communities that accept you at face value for the person that you are. We don’t keep a culture of judgment or expectation.
“We love each other way, way too hard.”
Readers can learn more about GOATFEST and its background or can donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by visiting its website.