NALFO organizations successfully fundraise in excess of $1,000 to benefit the Virginia Tech Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

May 5, 2007…In a concerted effort to consolidate its resources in order to benefit the Virginia Tech Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (OPBSI) and La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. (ΛΥΛ) proudly announce a donation in excess of $1,070.00 We are honored to "aid in the healing process and generate [additional] financial support" to directly benefit the 2 Latino memorial funds that were established as a subsidiary of the Hokie Spirit Fund. The beneficiaries are:

Daniel Alejandro Pérez Memorial Fund
Juan Ramón Ortiz-Ortiz Memorial Fund

The "10 for 10” national fundraising campaign was designed by OPBSI and LUL in order to provide its extensive network an avenue to participate in its cause over a 10 day period. Members encouraged friends, family, and community members to donate a minimum of $10.00 that would directly benefit the memorial fund. In addition to monetary support, participating chapters of OPBSI distributed black ribbons on their campuses to honor those victims who were lost in the tragedy; meanwhile chapters of LUL hosted campus-wide memorial banners of Solidarity and Hope that sent a message of inspiration to the Virginia Tech community.

"As fraternal organizations rooted in the academic arena, it was imperative for us to demonstrate solidarity with those affected by this unfortunate circumstance because it was a tragedy that deeply affected us all. We credit the success of this national initiative to the generosity of our networks, yet greatly applaud the unwavering spirit of our undergraduate membership for its leadership during these difficult time" stated Mauricio Benavides, LUL Director of Community Service. In addition, "we wanted to assist financially, as well as provide community members an avenue to express their thoughts, prayers, and condolences for the victims, families, and community of the Virginia Tech tragedy," noted Betty Diaz, OPBSI Director of Community Service.

Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated is a Latina-oriented sorority founded on March 15, 1989, at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Seventeen women of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds came together to defy the injustices suffered by women, particularly women of color, in the academic, professional and political arenas. The purpose of OPBSI is to serve and educate people of diverse backgrounds through sisterhood, leadership, and guidance. As positive role models, we promote unity of all cultures, focus on the empowerment of our gender and raise the standards of excellence in our academic, social, and personal endeavors. For further information visit: www.OmegaPhiBeta.org.

Since its inception in 1982 at Cornell University, La Unidad Latina incessantly remains on the vanguard of political and community empowerment by developing influential leaders that strive to exert knowledge and power into its peers in order to attain mutual success and induce societal change. Enhanced by a diverse membership, we commit ourselves to academic excellence, leadership development and cultural enlightenment. La Hermandad strives to preserve and promote an inclusive intellectual environment for its members and the community-at-large. Despite our affiliation, the ultimate quest to improve humanity will never be achieved through segregation and in that regard; La Unidad Latina has been critically acclaimed for its extrovert methodologies. www.LaUnidadLatina.org

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