Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has been Phi Mu’s national philanthropic partner since 1986. “To lend to those less fortunate a helping hand.” The first line of Phi Mu’s Creed has been a call to serve others since it was written more than 100 years ago. From our earliest days of supporting a health mobile that delivered health care to women and children in rural areas to supporting toy carts for children in hospitals to our current partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Phi Mu has long been committed to lending a helping hand to those in need.
We are proud to be the only sorority to partner with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and have an alliance with the National Women’s History Museum. We were also the first sorority to establish a National Philanthropy Day more than 20 years ago. Lending a helping hand is at the heart of who we are as Phi Mus.
Gamma Theta's Philanthropy
The organization we hold so near and dear to our hearts is Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Our local branch of CMN hospitals is UVA Children’s Hospital in Charlottesville, VA, about 45 minutes away from our campus. This is the #1 children’s hospital in Virginia, with 9 of their 10 specialties ranked in the top 50 programs nationally. They have a level one trauma center, pediatric ER, and a level IV PICU and NICU. With 112 beds, the hospital services hundreds of patients a day. To support this amazing place, Phi Mu Gamma Theta holds several events annually to fundraise for the kids in need. Starting in 2023, we have held a battle of the band event on Festival Lawn called “Bonnamu” where students of JMU come and “vote” for the band of their choice through donation! The band with the most money at the end wins and the money is sent to UVA Children’s. We also recently started a new event called “Phi Mu Pickleball Palooza” in the spring. Once again, we ask students from all different organizations to come and play with a small entrance fee per team donated to UVA Children’s. The winning team gets a small portion of the money back to their organization’s philanthropy as well. Throughout the year, we do smaller events like proceeds nights with restaurants in the area, carnation sales, Pie a Phi Mu, and donation bingo boards on social media. Our biggest proceeds event of the 2023-2024 school year was with 7brew, a coffee and drink chain that donated $1 from every large drink bought to UVA Children’s for a whole week! Sisters got to go in for shifts and help make drinks and hand out flyers to customers.Since Charlottesville is so close to us, we are lucky enough to get to tour UVA Health’s Battle Building which opened in 2014, and see the neonatal intensive care unit and transfusion center. Taking tours monthly in small groups of about 5 is a big hit among sisters as it is so motivating to see our fundraising in action. We are so grateful to be able to support such an amazing cause.
