Chi Omega held its annual pancake breakfast fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Michigan on Saturday, featuring all-you-can eat blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes.

“It’s just a $5 entry fee for all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage and Checker Records coffee,” said Chi Omega Vice President Junior Ruth Kirsch. “All of that money goes towards granting wishes for kids in Michigan.” 

Kirsch said the pancake breakfast is special because it happens over Parents’ Weekend. 

“It’s always a really good opportunity for parents to come and see the Chi O House,” Kirsch said. “It’s also an all-campus event, so it’s not exclusive to Greek life or anything. It’s definitely something where professors will come or parents, grandparents, siblings, and that just makes it really special and unifying.”

Widmer said the pancake breakfast is Chi Omega’s biggest philanthropy event. 

“It’s all-you-can-eat,” sophomore Community Service Director Sophia Widmer said. “We have chocolate chip, blueberry, regular, gluten-free. This year we had Checker Records, so we had chai for a little bit, and coffee.” 

Senior Aruna Harihara said she likes the pancake breakfast because it allows her to spend time with other girls in the sorority that she wouldn’t normally.

“School gets really busy, and it’s a group of 70 plus women, so it’s hard to hang out with all of them, but it is really nice to hang out under a unified premise of ‘we’re doing this to raise money for a good cause.’”

Kirsch said the event is run entirely by volunteers, while local businesses donate some of the food and funds. 

Widmer said she was impressed by the spirit of service of the girls who were volunteering. 

“I know sometimes it’s challenging in an event like that, especially with volunteers in the kitchen,” Widmer said. “There’s a lot happening in there, and it’s a bit stressful, but this year in particular, people were just really calm and had a good time and their hearts really showed, so I was inspired by that.”

All proceeds from the event, which raised over $1,100, go to Make-A-Wish Michigan, the Michigan chapter of Chi Omega’s national philanthropy. 

Widmer said Make-A-Wish Michigan grants wishes for children with terminal illnesses.

According to Widmer, around 150 people attended the event, including a girl who benefitted from Make-A-Wish Michigan. 

“She’s 16 now. But when she was five, she was diagnosed with leukemia and went through treatment for that for about two to three years, and towards the end of her treatment, she got her wish to go to Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique,” Widmer said. 

Widmer said it was especially meaningful since the girl lives in Hillsdale.

“It was a crazy connection, because we think of it as so far away,” Widmer said. “To be able to see this girl who’s really thriving in our community was awesome.”