Community Involvement
Philanthropy is a big part of our mission as a chapter. There are many events and charities that we help out throughout the year, and here you will find a list of some of them.

Columbia Community Outreach
Columbia Community Outreach (link) was founded by a Columbia SigEp in 1999, and every year since then, SigEp has taken part in its program. From their website:

Columbia Community Outreach (CCO) is a student organized, student run undergraduate service day that promotes community service on campus. Two of the goals of the project are to raise awareness of opportunities for long-term service and to form mutually beneficial relationships with the Harlem and Morningside Heights communities. Every year over 1,000, students, faculty, staff and alumni volunteer for a day and go out into the city to work alongside community members and non-profit organizations. Traditionally we have had projects within the Morningside and Riverside Parks, including painting benches, trimming and weeding flowerbeds and bushes, and general clean-up. Other sites to which we send volunteers yearly include Covenant House, A Better Place, and Habitat for Humanity. Profits from fundraising are donated to Columbia Impact and the Double Discovery Center on the Columbia campus. Since CCO.s inception, thousands of Columbia volunteers helped out at over 90 site citywide and raised over $20,000 for Columbia's on-going service programs.

Relay For Life
Relay for Life (link) is an annually held event on campus that raises money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. The way the event works is that out of your whole team, there must always be someone walking on the course for the event's duration of eighteen hours. In 2006, SigEp raised $1,570, while all of Columbia raised $70,000. SigEp's during Relay for Life

YouthAids
YouthAids is our official charity for philanthropy. It raises awareness and aims at curing AIDS in young children. We commonly hold events every semester where proceeds go to them. An annual event is the SigEp Red Party. It is a party hosted at a local bar, where the cover charge goes directly to YouthAids.

Columbia University Dance Marathon
Every year, SigEp has a representative help with the organization of Columbia University Dance Marathon (link). The CUDM is an event which benifits the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. It culminates in a 28 hour dancing marathon (hence the name). SigEp's at CUDM