Victoria McKenzie/ Winonan
A fraternity on campus is offering a break from the monotony of schoolwork that comes with the end of the school year.
The Winona State University Chapter of Pi Lambda Phi will be hosting their annual Miss WSU Pageant at the end of April. The event will have various forms of entertainment, and all proceeds go the United Leukodystrophy Foundation, in honor of Pi Lambda Phi’s brother Shayde Rudenick, who passed away from a rare brain disease called Adrenoleukodystrophy.
President of Pi Lambda Phi, Patrick Christner, said the funds have been allocated to this foundation since the passing of their brother.
According to Mayo Clinic, Adrenoleukodystrophy is an inherited condition that causes the body to have difficulty in breaking down fatty acids, causing build-up in the brain, nervous system and the adrenal gland. Leukodystrophy is the group for rare disorders like Adrenoleukodystrophy.
“We are expecting a strong turnout from the Warrior Nation to help crown our Miss WSU for 2015 and encourage you all to help support a good cause the means a lot to us in the process,” Christner said.
The event will be held in the Harriet Johnson Auditorium of Somsen Hall, Thursday, April 30.
At 6 p.m. there will be a silent auction and various carnival games with prizes, with the pagent starting at 7 p.m.
“The event itself will have an opening dance followed by an individual talent portion finishing off with a formal wear and question and answer segment,” Christner said.
Several of the brothers will be providing entertainment throughout the night, including musical performances from Al Collins and a modern dance by Raymond Shoup, Christner said.
Each contestant of the pageant must have a $30 sponsorship from one of the Winona State clubs on campus. So far, there are eight contestants, but people are still able to sign up.
Tickets for the event are $2 for students and $5 for community members.
“We typically get around 150-200 people in attendance of the event,” Christner said.
Christner has been involved in the event since 2011, working on the event all five years, and now as president he said he helps out in whatever way he can.
“We have an active chapter of 37 brothers, and an estimated half of the brothers have helped through acquiring donations, performing at the event, promotion, and the soon to be selling of tickets,” Christner said.
The Miss WSU Pageant has been a Pi Lambda Phi tradition since 1994, and Christner said the event usually raises around $1,000.
