During the early part of October, the Tennessee Kappa Chapter helped support “Andrea Walks for Tennessee’s Children.” This program began as brainchild of Andrea Conte, First Lady of the state of Tennessee. She plans to walk across communities spanning the entire state over the course of twenty months (which started in September and are slated to end in May 2005).
All of the money raised throughout goes to Child Advocacy Centers in the communities through which she and other participants walk. Child Advocacy Centers bring together all of the personnel needed to diffuse abusive situations in one setting, so as not to traumatize the child involved. Conte made a special visit to UT Martin on her way to the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse in downtown Martin.
The Brothers of Tennessee Kappa showed support by participating in the walk and donating funds to the cause. Officials from UT Martin and other student organizations greeted her as well. SigEp raised over $450, making the total contributed by UT Martin almost $3,000. “We feel so encouraged and have gotten so much support,” Conte told The Pacer.
Tennessee Kappa President John Lankford added that being part of Sigma Phi Epsilon entails reaching out to others in need. “SigEp teaches you that we should do all that we can to help out everyone around us in brotherly love,” Lankford said. “Andrea Walk’s provided an opportunity to contribute to the community and further ourselves as balanced men.”
For more information on Andrea Walks go to their website at www.andreawalks.com.