A Legacy Of Service: Sigma Gamma Rho Makes $2M Pledge To St. Jude For Sickle Cell Research – Essence

When the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority, Inc. say “greater service, greater progress,” they mean business.

The organization recently announced a $2 million commitment to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, furthering its efforts to help combat life-threatening diseases like childhood cancer and sickle cell disease. This new pledge builds on the sorority’s earlier milestone, where it became the first NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) sorority to donate $1 million to St. Jude, an achievement celebrated last year.

This unprecedented commitment was announced during Sigma Gamma Rho’s 60th International Biennial Boule in Houston, Texas, where the sorority elected its new International President, Marica T. Harris. Harris, with a vast background in youth development, political advocacy, and women’s empowerment, is set to lead the organization in these renewed efforts to serve the community. “It is with immense pride in service to this cause that we make this commitment to help advance global survival rates for children everywhere with catastrophic diseases,” she shared. This sentiment reflects Sigma Gamma Rho’s motto, “Greater Service, Greater Progress,” and its ongoing dedication to creating meaningful change.

Founded in 1922 by seven Black educators at Butler University, Sigma Gamma Rho has a long-standing legacy of community service, particularly focused on empowering women and improving the lives of children and families. With over 500 chapters worldwide, including in the U.S., Ghana, and Japan, the organization has always prioritized positive, proactive outreach on both national and international levels.

St. Jude’s groundbreaking work on diseases like cancer and sickle cell resonates deeply with the sorority’s mission. Support from partners like Sigma Gamma Rho ensures that no family at St. Jude receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food—allowing families to focus on their child’s recovery. Harris emphasized the importance of this mission, particularly given the hospital’s strides in improving survival rates for children with catastrophic diseases.

One of the areas where the partnership between Sigma Gamma Rho and St. Jude has been particularly impactful is in advancing research on sickle cell disease, a condition that disproportionately affects Black communities. Sigma Gamma Rho’s ongoing commitment will continue to help fund cutting-edge research, ensuring better treatment outcomes for children diagnosed with this life-threatening illness.

For decades, St. Jude has been at the forefront of improving care for children with sickle cell, working to enhance both survival rates and the quality of life for patients. As Harris notes, “The progress St. Jude has made for sickle cell patients is inspiring, and we look forward to helping continue those advances.”

With a target of raising $2 million by 2028, Sigma Gamma Rho’s new commitment is a powerful statement of what can be achieved when organizations come together for a common cause. Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC (the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude), commended the sorority’s dedication, saying, “I am profoundly grateful for the unwavering dedication of our partner, Sigma Gamma Rho.”