Soup and thanks for police Sorority offers a hot meal A sorority continued its annual fall tradition Tuesday of showing their thanks to local law enforcement officers by serving them a hot meal.
Homemade chicken soup was the main course this year, prepared by members of Minnesota State University’s chapter of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. The event started in spring 2004 with a spring meal for Mankato firefighters, said Molly Olson, chapter president. The event was expanded that year to include a fall meal for police officers.
“We wanted to say thank you to them for putting their lives on the line and working to make our community better,” Olson said. “It’s just a great time to sit down and spend time with my sisters and know we’re doing something nice for people who really deserve it.”
It’s a gesture that’s appreciated by the officers who’ve participated, said Cmdr. Debbie McDermott. Not all interaction between college-age kids and police officers is positive, so it’s a chance for officers and students to get to know each other in a situation that doesn’t involve a traumatic event or citations.
“The officers enjoy it,” McDermott said. “It’s a chance to get to know each other. A lot of times our contact with students can be negative. It’s nice to deal with them in a more positive light.”
Carol Jensen was busy chopping vegetables at her house Tuesday afternoon. She is the Alpha Sigma Alpha chapter adviser and also serves as assistant director of MSU Security.
She was expecting five or six sorority members to join her for the prep work. About 20 members, or well over half of the sorority’s 34 members, were expected to be on hand by the end of the meal to serve the officers. Women who are thinking about joining Alpha Sigma Alpha also are invited to the event.
Olson said 20 invitations were sent out to the officers she knew would be on duty and department commanders were asked to tell others about the event in case they happened to be at the office Tuesday night.
“We make a lot of food, enough to feed all the police officers,” Olson said. “If there’s enough, we dish some up for ourselves and join them.”
The night often ends with tours of the Police Department in the fall and the Fire Department during the spring meal, she said.
The meals aren’t the only volunteer projects sorority members participate in each year, but they are a favorite, Olson added. Alpha Sigma Alpha members also check coats and help serve dinner during the annual Starlight Gala benefiting suicide prevention and pass out hugs during the Special Olympics in St. Peter, among other things.
As a whole, MSU’s Greek system members participate in many events that benefit the community, Jensen said.
“This is one event that MSU Greeks do that is a positive thing, but there are many others,” she said.
For more Free Press news go to www.mankatofreepress.com.
Email this article | Permanent link | Topstories news | Topstories news archives
Minnesota State
University, Mankato
Mankato, MN 56001
1-800-722-0544
© 2005-2013 Minnesota State University, Mankato. Minnesota State University, Mankato is a member of
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system and an affirmative action/equal opportunity university.
