David Crockett/Nevada Sagebrush
Members of Sisters on a Move pose for a photo after winning the fifth annual Stroll for Tots competition at the Joe Crowley Student Union ballroom on Friday, Dec. 5. The fundraising event raised donations for the nonprofit organization Toys for Tots.
By Jennifer Marbley
The fifth annual Stroll for Tots event drew a crowd of over 400 University of Nevada, Reno students in the Joe Crowley Student Union on Friday, Dec. 5. The event was a dance competition organized by fraternity Phi Beta Sigma to raise money for the nonprofit organization Toys for Tots.
The price of admission for Stroll for Tots was $5 or one new toy of equal or greater value. All of the proceeds raised by the Sigma’s only strolling competition were donated to the charity that has a mission is to collect unwrapped toys for children living in poverty.
Fraternity members sought to increase community service by partnering with Toys for Tots and creating a sense of purpose in their membership. Sergio Corona, the special events chair for Phi Beta Sigma, hosted the Stroll for Tots event. Several groups created the concept of the event in 2010 and it has grown bigger every year, according to Corona.
In 2013, the Sigmas donated nearly $1,300 in toys and cash to the Toys for Tots foundation. The donations ranged from Barbie dolls and small toy cars to entire play sets. This year’s event raised $2,500 in donations from entry fees.
University clubs and organizations that entered the strolling and stepping competition included Paw Prints and the Student Ambassadors. Sisters on a Move, an all-women organization dedicated to community service, won first place in the competition. A.B.L.E. Women were the runners up and Delta Sigma Theta was awarded third place. The dance groups were judged on creativity and precision of their strolling routine.
“Strolling is kind of like a dance… it is like synchronized swimming, but on land,” Corona said. “We take a lot of movements like that and we judge it on precision and creativity, but it’s basically a dance.”
Students came to support university clubs and organizations and donate to the Toys for Tots charity. Junior Tiana LaSane decided to come to the event to watch the different groups step and stroll.
“Sisters on a Move was killing it on stage,” LaSane said. “It’s interesting to see how people interpret stepping in their own ways.”
Junior Mekayla Ferguson, president of SOAM, said that Stroll for Tots is a creative way to raise money for a good cause. SOAM has participated in the event every year and its members were excited about winning first place, according to Ferguson. While SOAM enjoys crafting innovative dances to perform, their intention is to promote community service and raise money for Toys for Tots.
According to Ferguson, members of SOAM incorporated their own ideas about the stroll and played a part in developing the winning dance and raising money for charity. SOAM began practicing for the competition shortly after the Thanksgiving break.
Ferguson said that there were several dance moves that the group was hesitant to perform, but said that they implemented them well during the show. During the SOAM dance routine, the performers jumped on each other’s shoulders, while they attempted to maintain balance. Ferguson said that her heart was racing as SOAM performed the dance.
“When we started practicing that, it was rough because the girls started falling,” Ferguson said. “They got confidence and that’s what it took to [perform] that move.”
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause when Sisters on a Move successfully performed the maneuver. Ferguson said that she enjoyed doing the event and is grateful to be a part of it with Phi Beta Sigma.
Corona urged other on-campus organizations to participate in next year’s Stroll for Tots that he believes the event will become larger every year as it gains popularity.
“I would really encourage other organizations to get involved,” Corona said. “All of the proceeds go to Toys for Tots, so we profit nothing from this, it’s all just to give back.”
Jennifer Marbley can be reached at jmarbley@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @MissMarbley.
