Don’t DHOP me now: Pancakes for a cause

In their bright yellow shirts, the Delta Delta Delta (Tri-Delt) sorority members were hard to miss. They cheered over the pop music that played through the speakers and drew people in as they walked by Uptown. Posters of St. Jude patients lined the park pavilion, catching the breeze and the attention of those who walked by. Blue and yellow St. Jude balloons were tied around the trees lining the park.

On Sunday morning, the sun shone down as Tri-Delt began its annual Delta House of Pancakes (DHOP) fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Under the Uptown park pavilion, they set up tables to serve pancakes, bacon, sausage and coffee.

Students, families and community members lined up as they waited for their breakfast. After getting their food, they spread out on benches and the grass as they ate and chatted among one another.

Behind the pavilion, sorority members were stationed over griddles. One was reserved for the pancakes and another was covered in bacon. Another table was set up to prepare the pancake mix. Sorority members talked with one another and took selfies and videos to help promote the event on social media.

Other Tri-Delt members moved back and forth from the griddles to serving tables with large aluminum bins full of food.

Senior Miranda Oates, a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, came to the event with friends to help support another sorority.

“Philanthropy is so important in the Greek community, and it’s for a wonderful cause so I’m happy to support it,” Oates said.

Tri-Delt raised $6,000 in presale tickets and raised a total of $8,300 by the end of the event. In addition to the money raised from tickets, they raised more money through a raffle. Raffle prizes ranged from St. Jude swag to Kendra Scott jewelry and even a waterproof speaker.

Senior Alyson Wohlleber is the philanthropy chair for Tri-Delt and organized the entire event. She spent months preparing because of how important DHOP is to the organization.

“This event is important to us because it’s our biggest philanthropy event of the semester,” Wohlleber said. “It’s a great event to get the community involved and have community leaders come and other students to support St. Jude.”

Senior Shelby Deakyne, Tri-Delt’s president, loves being able to spread awareness about the important work that St. Jude does, especially after a recent visit to Memphis to visit the hospital.

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“We got to hear a patient testimony and her mom told us all about how St. Jude has helped her and how the money we raised really helps, even if it’s in small ways, like arts and crafts the kiddos get to do,” Deakyne said.

This is the fourth year that Tri-Delt has hosted DHOP over Miami’s family weekend. Families of sorority members come to support and with more people Uptown, they can draw in a bigger crowd and raise even more money.

Wendy Haudrich is a proud Tri-Delt mom who has attended the event every year that her daughter, senior Claire Haudrich, has been a part of the sorority.

“We wanna do anything we can to support it,” Haudrich said.

killiagc@miamioh.edu