The PLU nursing honors club’s charity auction has had another successful year of raising funds to help feed the Parkland community during Thanksgiving. Held in the AUC’s Chris Knutzen Hall, the auction’s decor was elegant and charming. The stage set near the entrance was manned by student group Mariachi del Pacifico while attendees filed in, guided to their seats by Delta Iota Chi club members. Pumpkin centerpieces with autumnal flowers spilling from their tops on all the tables, draped in black tablecloths and set with buttered rolls and chocolate torte before the event began. The back of the hall featured a U of tables holding items to bid on and papers to record bids.
Delta Iota Chi vice president Emily Lackey explained that the event is not for the nursing program or the club itself, but for the annual Turkey Drive. “For more than 20 years, Delta has organized the creation of turkey baskets to provide full Thanksgiving dinners for families… Each basket costs about $35 to create and serves 6-8 people.” Last year the club successfully distributed 350 meal baskets by working with community partners like school districts and churches. Parkland’s need for food will continue to rise, and the club hopes to continue offering more and more baskets each year. Delta’s contribution to stabilizing the local community is dependent on the alumni who make purchases at the auction.
Cheerful brass and strings accompanied the guests around the room while they looked at the array of baskets for sale. A box of cupcakes, dance lessons, gift cards, date night bundles, museum tickets, escape room and zoo trip vouchers were among the options up for bid. Delta president Antonio Narciso-Rubio welcomed the guests once latecomers had time to find their seats.
After their performance was concluded, Mariachi del Pacifico shared why they love the student mariachi club. Most expressed loving an outlet to practice music other than the often eurocentric offerings of the PLU music program. Senior trumpet player Brandon Liukkonen warmly spoke of the opportunity to connect with his culture, saying “it’s fun… I haven’t been able to do this anywhere I lived before.” Senior violinist Janelle Barlow started the club due to her involvement in mariachi outside of PLU, and leads it with a humble grace offset by her confident vocals onstage.
The mariachis took their seats to enjoy the rest of the event and a jazz trio moved to the front of the room. The Ocean 5 trio (Chris Crumpler, Wayne Bliss, and Tim Lerch) performed their versions of jazz standards and a few classic pop numbers for the rest of the night. Lively and inventive, the complex melodies washed over the crowd with a relaxed air, crediting the skill of the musicians.
Lackey gave a speech once the chicken, mashed potato, and roasted carrot dinner had been served. She thanked everyone who contributed to planning the eventand the guests for coming to support the cause. While chatting with The Mast after the event, the president and vice president both gushed about Sierra Campbell, the fundraising chair. With years of event-planning experience outside of PLU, she brought her expertise to this year’s auction and no one could say enough about the impressive levels of coordination and finesse she brought to the project. The night’s success was brought about by her in conjunction with the impressive support of the rest of the club members, who each made the night run smoothly in their own role.
Outside of the auction, Delta Iota Chi runs blood drives, CPR classes (open invite for PLU campus), and a Tubes and Lines collaboration event with the University of Puget Sound to teach their physical therapist students how to work around IVs and the like. For next year’s auction, they want to expand the reach of their invitations. This year, it was primarily nursing alumni but they want to consider a bigger, off-campus venue to smooth out the few accidental hitches coordinating with PLU catering.
To contact or join Delta Iota Chi, email delta@plu.edu or reach out on Instagram @pludeltaiotachi.
