The 2nd Annual Because of Who You Are Award

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority will present its second annual Because of Who You Are Award to two of the Lafayette-Oxford-University (LOU) community volunteers on Sunday.

“The LOU community is filled with people who go beyond the normal perimeters of their daily lives to assist others,” said Jackie Certion, graduate advisor of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. “We wanted to select people that we know are doing things for the community, but doing it behind the scenes.”

The Because of Who You Are Award was created to honor local citizens for their unselfish acts that benefits the needs of others.

“In honor of our founders, we usually choose an educator and another civil servant,” Certion said. “We seek out people who have made an impact on the community, and seem to still remain in the background.”

The founders of Sigma Gamma Rho were school teachers and administrators. The sorority was founded in 1922, on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind.

On Oct. 28, 1994, the Xi Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho was chartered at the University of Mississippi. The sorority currently has two members on campus and five in the local alumni chapter.

“Our organization's motto is ‘Greater Service, Greater Progress’, and community service is a major cornerstone for who were are as an organization,” Certion said.

In February 2010, the first award was given to three recipients in the LOU community. Each recipient was awarded a plaque engraved with an African Proverb that represents the sorority’s motto.

“I was really shocked because I did not know anything about the award, or that it existed and it took me totally by surprise,” said Mae Stone, a 2010 award recipient and Regional Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child. “I was pleased because Operation Christmas Child is a great organization with a worthy mission.”

Sigma Gamma Rho’s aim is to enhance the quality of life within the community. Public service, leadership development and education of youth are the hallmark of the organization’s programs and activities.

“The sorority saw the need to acknowledge people who were civically engaged,” Certion said. “The idea came about when Chancellor Jones' put emphasis on the Ole Miss community getting more involved in community service.”

On Sunday, Feb. 27, the Because of Who You Are Award will be handed out in the community at a public place. One recipient will receive the plaque during Black History Month at a local church, and the other will receive the award during an auxiliary meeting.

“I think it is a great thing that they are doing,” said Christina Draper, a Sigma Gamma Rho alumni. “I think a lot of times people do good in the community, but they may not get the publicity they should for what they do. They do give back to the community and should be recognized.”

Watch as Mae Stone tells us more about her community involvement and see her award: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3W-FCiYwsE