Oregon Thetas show their support for CASA of Lane County

The women of the Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity have left their mark by hosting the 10th annual CASA 5K Race at Hayward Field on April 30th. The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program supports children who are going through the foster care system in Lane County. Many of these children are dealing with domestic violence situations and often have no one to speak on their behalf.

To give these children a voice in court, CASA trains qualified adults to take on each child’s case and support them through their time of need. CASA volunteers act as eyes for the judge by researching the children’s cases in detail as well as digging up the right facts. The ultimate goal is to find each child a safe home with a loving family.

The Women’s Fraternity is known for supporting CASA as its national philanthropy. This year, seventeen Theta women from the University of Oregon volunteered at the 5K. Tasks ranged from filling bags of goodies for the runners to preparing breakfast for the children who completed the Duck Dash 1k Run. The children’s run was the first event of the morning and there was a great amount of excitement from both the participants and volunteers.

Parents and their children lined up in Hayward and began to take off together as soon as they heard “GO.” Some of the children were even wearing super hero capes that said “Benefit CASA” on them. One boy who ran in the Duck Dash said that he had a lot of fun running with his dad and friends around the track.

This was his first race and he looks forward to doing it again next year.

Photo courtesy of casa-lane.org

Oregon Junior and Theta member Jenny Kinsman has volunteered with CASA for two years prior to her involvement with Theta. This past year, she served as Theta’s Philanthropy Chair and interned with the organization. When she joined Theta, she was very happy to start working on a closer level with such a great program. This weekend’s race was a great experience for the women of Theta. They showed their support for an organization that carries great meaning for the whole community.

“The CASA 5K is paired with the Eugene Marathon so it is a good way to make it a family event. The 5K is a great way to support and show love for CASA. I love seeing families participate together,” Kinsman said.

Women from Kappa Alpha Theta volunteer their time at CASA’s Casino Royale fundraiser

This event has a special place in Kinsman’s heart because she explained that she has family who has experienced the hardships of going through foster care. The personal connections that people have made with the program is what makes CASA successful. From the number of runners to the volunteers, it was evident that there are many supporters who seek justice for children going through tough times.

“Children going through the foster care system and through the court deserve to be heard. I love that CASA can provide help for children like my cousins,” the philanthropy chair added.

The 5K is not the only function that Theta has supported. Each year since the fraternity’s re-colonization in 2012, it has held their annual philanthropy event, Casino Royale, at their house. This is a fun event in which all fraternities and sororities are welcome to attend.

Functions such as the 5K and Casino Royale help college students understand the importance of supporting great causes around them.

Former Theta Philanthropy chair, Jenny Kinsman (far right) volunteering at Casino Royale