WILSON, N.C. — October 25, 2018 — The brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Barton College chose to shine a very personal light on Breast Cancer Awareness during the month of October. Instead of raising dollars to send to a cancer research foundation this year, the brothers reached out to connect with a breast cancer patient in the Wilson community, Kiayuana Evans.
On Evans’ GoFundMe® site, she shares that she felt like her life was over when she found out that she had breast cancer in August 2018. She said she was mad, hurt, scared, and confused. Then, Evans said reality set in, and she knew she had to beat this. She began to do research and read countless testimonials of others who had experienced breast cancer. She said she knew she wasn’t alone. Her faith sustains her, and her family and friends are by her side. What Evans didn’t expect was a fraternity to reach out to offer its support as well.
When Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brother and vice president of fraternity programming Lance Hillis learned about Evans’ story, he contacted Evans to let her know the fraternity wanted to try to help her raise part of the funds she needed to assist with medical bills and chemotherapy treatments. This young 27-year-old mother of a two-year-old currently has a GoFundMe® target of $3,000, and the brothers made it their goal to help her reach her goal.
“We really want to make a difference for Ms. Evans, and this fundraiser is a way to do that, explained Hillis, a senior political science major at Barton College, who spearheaded this fundraiser. “We believe this community-based focus is an effective way of supporting breast cancer awareness because our fundraising effort directly impacts an individual in Barton’s hometown community of Wilson.”
The fraternity brothers chose several methods to collect funds for this effort, including getting permission to “Storm the Dorms” one evening, when they went door to door inviting fellow classmates to give to this worthy cause. They also reached out to faculty and staff, as brothers teamed up to visit administration and classroom buildings to encourage additional giving. Probably the most important effort made by the brothers was that they contributed to the fundraiser individually first, before seeking other donations. Not only did they put their Sigma Phi Epsilon hearts into the effort, they committed their dollars too.
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity invited Kiayuana Evans to meet them on the Barton College campus on Tuesday, Oct. 23, where they presented her with a $800 check. It was a heartwarming moment for these young college students to connect with this young mother, each one dreaming of a healthy, happy future ahead.
The N.C. Iota chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at Barton College encourages others to support Evans by visiting her GoFundMe® site at https://www.gofundme.com/help-kiayuana-heal.
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