Derby Days is one of Sigma Chi’s staple philanthropic events. The first ‘derby days’ was held at the University of California-Berkeley, home of the Alpha Beta chapter, in 1922. Then known as the ‘Channing Way Derby’, news of the event would spread to other chapters, many of whom then desired to create their own Derby Day. Derby Days has been successful not only in raising both capital and awarenes
s for the designated cause, but also in portraying both Sigma Chi and the Greek system as a whole in a positive light. Throughout the course of a week, the participating chapter organizes and hosts a series of events and competitions among their campus’ female community. Money is raised through either donations, or through fundraising-type events. The event takes over campuses and communities, and highly encourages participation from outside the Greek system. While Derby days itself is not mandatory for any chapter of Sigma Chi, it is a popular tradition practiced by many chapters across North America. One of the most appealing aspects of the event is that it allows each chapter the unique opportunity to positively impact both their campus and community as a whole. According to the international chapter’s official website, the basic mission of Derby Days is to serve the community. Bryant University’s Lambda Eta Chapter has chosen The Huntsman Cancer Foundation as their chosen donation institution. At the Sigma Chi 150th celebration, an announcement was made making the Huntsman Cancer Foundation (HCF) the historical fraternity's national charity of choice. Sigma Chi chapters from across the nation have stepped up to join Jon M. Active collegiate and alumni chapters hold events in their area and direct the proceeds to HCF, which supports cancer research at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Jon M. Huntsman (Penn 1959) is the Sigma Chi brother who invested $300 million to establish the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) in 1995. The DerbyChallenge is a friendly competition where everyone wins. Undergraduate and alumni chapters of Sigma Chi set up team pages to engage their friends, family, and affiliated groups to fund cancer research at Huntsman Cancer Institute, a world-wide leader in studying and treating cancer at the molecular level. Sigma Chi chapters have already raised more than $700,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation (HCF) and we're just getting started. As you know, the world expects more of the men in Sigma Chi than it does other men. So it's up to us to take a stand and raise the money that finds a cure for cancer. Huntsman Cancer Institute's winning formula:
RESEARCH = EARLY DIAGNOSIS + BETTER TREATMENT
EARLY DIAGNOSIS + BETTER TREATMENT = NO MORE CANCER
