Since 2005, the Delta Zeta chapter at the University of South Carolina has hosted an annual registry event in honor of Caroline Terry, a member who passed away from leukemia. This event, titled Sweet Caroline, has become the chapter’s local philanthropy. For one week each February, the women of Delta Zeta table all over campus and at Soda City, an outdoor weekend market in Columbia, South Carolina. These women educate their community on the importance of joining the global stem cell/marrow registry, as well as provide the opportunity to sign up for anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 years old.
This spring was the 20th anniversary of the very first Sweet Caroline. The women of Delta Zeta spent the months leading up preparing for the event. At the chapter meeting prior to the first day of the event, Caroline Terry’s family came to speak about Caroline and the legacy they have created. After the family was done speaking, a Project Life Movement Campus Coordinator educated the chapter on the importance of building the registry. One highlight of the meeting was the two Delta Zeta members who said yes to donating their lifesaving stem cells to a patient in need. Both donors were registered at Sweet Caroline in previous years, showing these women the impact they have with this event.
Throughout the following week, the women of Delta Zeta spread across campus to encourage others to sign up for the global registry. Despite the weather, the women of Delta Zeta were able to add 1,306 new potential donors. The chapter’s Vice President of Philanthropy, Clarie Teed, worked extremely hard on the event and was proud of what the sisters were able to achieve. According to Claire, “Leading our chapter for Sweet Caroline was one of the most rewarding things I have done during my college experience. We are honored to be able to partner with Project Life Movement for this wonderful cause year after year.”
Since partnering with Project Life Movement in 2020, the women of this chapter have added 6,385 potential donors, 245 of which have been found as an initial match, and 23 individuals who have donated their lifesaving cells. Twenty-three lives have been forever changed because of the passion of the University of South Carolina Delta Zetas.