Binghamton University’s Panhellenic Council hosted its annual Miss Aphrodite fundraiser on Sunday, where representatives from nine sororities competed in a pageant-style contest to raise money for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, New York.

The event brought together contestants from seven Panhellenic sororities — Alpha Epsilon Phi, Delta Phi Epsilon, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Delta Tau and Zeta Tau Alpha — and two cross-council organizations, Alpha Omega Epsilon and Omega Phi Alpha, to demonstrate their creativity and talent in a friendly competition to raise the most funds for Upstate Golisano and be crowned Miss Aphrodite. Held downtown in the Broome County Forum Theatre, an audience of over 500 packed into the auditorium to watch the pageant.

Mackenzie Buscarino, the Panhellenic Council’s vice president of philanthropy and community service and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, described how Miss Aphrodite brings various organizations together to support a common purpose.

“I hope attendees realize the huge difference they are making in the lives of others by sitting and watching the show,” Buscarino wrote in an email. “100% of the proceeds made from this event are donated, so by attending the show, people are making a huge impact and meaningful difference. The participants in this show were absolutely incredible to work with. They were all so supportive of one another, and truthfully just wanted to raise the most money possible for Upstate Golisano. I hope they recognize what an incredible job they did, and how vital their involvement in this event was.”

Each year, Miss Aphrodite raises money for a hospital under the Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit foundation consisting of 170 children’s hospitals across North America that provide life-saving treatment and healthcare to youth patients in need.

Miss Aphrodite opened with introductory speeches from Buscarino and Paige Heggelke, the Panhellenic Council’s president and a senior majoring in economics. They welcomed Catherine Faughnan MPA ‘17, assistant director of the University Union, Payton Rusin, assistant director of marketing for the Division of Student Affairs and Caroline Jensen ‘18, a clinical assistant professor at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, as the judges of this year’s pageant. Following their remarks, Cynthia Rotella, a spokesperson from the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and a BU alumna, approached the podium to discuss the impact of Miss Aphrodite on the children under the care of these hospitals.

The competition kicked off with the toga round, where each Miss Aphrodite contestant took to the stage in a customized toga they personally designed, escorted by members of their partnered fraternity. Their partners read a brief introduction about the contestant to the crowd, sharing which organization they were affiliated with, along with their major, interests and involvement on campus.

Amber Gill, Phi Sig’s Miss Aphrodite contestant and a sophomore majoring in public health, reflected on her experience competing in the event.

“Miss Aphrodite was one of my favorite experiences I have had through being in Phi Sig,” Gill wrote in an email. “It was truly an honor to represent my sorority while contributing to an amazing cause. I loved getting to express myself and bringing myself out of my comfort zone. Getting to know the other contestants and involving my friends made everything so much more fun.”

“As corny as it sounds, doing Miss Aphrodite made me realize how much of an impact we can make on families in need when we come together,” she added. “It was really beautiful to see the full audience with people from every organization. I’m so proud of Binghamton Panhellenic and everyone else involved with the event.”

After the toga round, a member from each of the partnered fraternities competed in an intense spelling bee to win additional points for their respective sorority. The audience cheered on their teams as each round progressed, awarding five points to AEPhi and DPhiE.

After a short intermission, the contestants proceeded to the talent round, where they showcased their proficiency in music and dance. AEPhi and DPhiE’s representatives performed choreographed hip-hop dances with backup dancers, while SDT’s contestant performed a ballet-inspired solo.

Gill and contestants from OPhiA, AOE and KKG covered a variety of songs accompanied by piano, guitar or a full band, ranging from ballads like ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” to an operatic piece. Rachel Priest, Phi Mu’s representative and a junior double-majoring in psychology and Spanish, performed an original rap song as other members of Phi Mu danced back up, physically lifting and carrying her off the stage at the end of the song.

Following the talent portion, the final round commenced, where each contestant was asked two questions about themselves and their experience at the University. After this lightning round of questions, the winners of the raffle prizes were announced and DPhiE was crowned the winner of the Crowd Change Donation competition.

After three rounds of competition, the judges deliberated on the top three contestants, placing Alaina Domingo, AOE’s representative and a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering, in third and Rachel Lerma, KKG’s representative and a senior majoring in business administration, in second. The title of Miss Aphrodite was ultimately awarded to Priest.

Heggelke reflected upon the success of the event and the impact of the funds raised through Miss Aphrodite, totaling $62,580 in the past three years.

“Funds raised by the pageant go directly toward the community’s most urgent needs, such as charitable care for children, research investment, training the next generation of doctors and nurses, and offering families comfort and peace of mind during their most difficult moments,” Heggelke wrote in an email. “This year’s Miss Aphro raised $16,766.82, which will subsidize initiatives that are most needed, supporting more than 12,000 visits made this year by Southern Tier area families. I am so proud of each contestant and all of their hard work, as well as every member of Panhellenic, PFC, IFC for their donations of time and money, and participation in fundraisers. This event truly takes a village, and our continued success year after year proves our strength as a community.”