As women of Phi Mu, we are constantly striving to serve others. Phi Mu's interest in philanthropy is expressed in the first line of our creed, "To lend to those less fortunate a helping hand." Phi Mu is the only sorority sponsor of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH). Nationally, Phi Mu raises more than $500,000 a year with a grand total of over $14 million so far. Additionally, members across the nation spend countless hours working to help children across the country. In the 2019-2020 school year, Zeta Gamma raised around $35,000 for the Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha.

Not only do our chapter philanthropies benefit CMNH but so does the campus-wide event Dance Marathon. In 2020, UNL's Dance Marathon raised over $235,000, and Phi Mu alone raised over $31,000 of that total, securing the spot of the top fundraising team for the 6th year in a row.

Chicken & Waffles

Every year in the fall we kick off our philanthropy season by hosting Chicken and Waffles, or "Chicky Waffs" as we like to call it. Since 2015, we have served fresh chicken and home-cooked waffles to our family, friends, and community. All the money we raise goes to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals! 

Chicky Waffs 2018 - We smile knowing that all the hard work we put into our philanthropies will help bring smiles to CMNH children and their families as well.

Chicky Waffs 2018 - our sister Mikey (far right) was a CMNH patient and reminds us everyday about the value of our philanthropic efforts.

Chicky Waffs 2017 - our sister Jensyn (right) has also had a personal experience with CMNH. Jensyn is extremely passionate about giving back to the organization that has helped her so much.

Milkshakes for Miracles

Our spring philanthropy is Milkshakes for Miracles. On this special day we invite people to the Mu Mansion to enjoy assorted flavors of milkshakes with an unlimited topping bar. As Phi Mus, we strongly believe that the only thing better than a milkshake is a milkshake in support of the kids!

Although the weather was unexpectedly cold and snowy the day of the philanthropy, we still had a great turnout! Fun fact: Our sister Alyssa (left) is another one of our sisters that has inspired us with her CMNH story.

Shoutout to Starbucks for donating cups for us to use the day of the philanthropy!

Our sisters always have so much fun decorating the house for our philanthropy events. Check out this adorable banner our talented sister Hannah painted!

Dance Marathon

For the past six years, Zeta Gamma has shown our philanthropic efforts at Dance Marathon through being the top raising organization on campus. This year our chapter raised over $31,000. The 12-hour time period included a lot of dancing, stories from CMNH families, live performances , and small competitions to help raise even more money. We also have a large number of sisters that have served on Dance Marathon Staff, on Dance Marathon Execs, and as moral captains. We are so proud to come together with other organizations on our campus and celebrate the kids that we care so much about. 
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One of the many things that makes Dance Marathon so special for us is getting to spend time with the children and families all the money we raise throughout the years helps support.

Hospital Visits

While raising thousands of dollars each year for CMNH is extremely rewarding, it becomes even more rewarding when we get to see where all our efforts have paid off. That is why our chapter plans monthly visits to the Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha. There, we get to tour the hospital and meet some of the incredible doctors and nurses that help the children we care about so much. During these visits, we also get opportunities to hear the stories of these courageous kids and their strong families, reminding us why we do what we do.

Our sisters Peyton and Maggie stand in front of Phi Mu's stone on the donor wall at the Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha.

Out of the Darkness Walk

 The UNL Out of the Darkness Walk's goal is to raise awareness about suicide prevention while raising money to fund educational programs about mental health. The Out of the Darkness Organization is aiming to make UNL's community a safe and educational space to talk about mental health issues. This past year, our sister Alyssa served as the event coordinator of the Out of the Darkness Walk and organized an amazing virtual walk that many of our sisters participated in. Our sister Noel served as the event coordinator the year prior. Our sisters Julia and M'Lynn also served on the Out of the Darkness Executive Team. We are so proud to be an organization that is so passionate about mental health.

We are so proud of our sisters Noel (right) and Alyssa (left) for doing amazing jobs coordinating the 2019 and 2020 Out of the Darkness Walks.

The Big Event

The Big Event is a community service organization within the ASUN Student Government at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It is aimed at giving back to the local Lincoln community through one large day of service. More than 3,000 students, faculty, and staff volunteer and give thanks to Lincoln each spring as part of The Big Event. Each year, our chapter forms groups to volunteer together. This past year, our sisters Kali, Hailey, and Destiny all served on The Big Event Executive Team. The organization is entirely student-run and funded by donations from the community.

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Although the day can be long, the feeling you get after helping out the community is beyond compare.