By Melanie Bucoy

NJIT’s sorority, Sigma Psi Kappa, hosted its annual Date Auction on Wednesday, February 10 in the Campus Center Atrium. Not only are these sisters providing a way for you to find a “date” for the evening, with food and music provided, but their philanthropic event also benefited the American Heart Association.

Love and fun filled the air that night. There were bright colors of red and pink everywhere. There was fun music to dance to. Sigma Psi Kappa hosted this event as a way for the audience members to bid on their student of choice and have a dinner date at the end of the night with food and drinks provided. Those who were being auctioned off had the chance to share their interests, special talents, and appeal to prospective date-seekers in a humorous way. Students who wanted a “date” with one of the candidates would place individual bids on each person and whoever bid the highest received a dinner-date with that candidate.

This date auction, however, was more than just another way for friends to spend their night having fun at NJIT. February is well known for Valentine’s Day, but more importantly, it is also known as the American Heart Month. Sigma Psi Kappa’s event brought awareness to one of the most important conditions that affects millions of people everyday: cardiovascular disease.

All proceeds from the event went directly to the American Heart Association. The AHA is a non-profit organization that works toward improving the cardiovascular health of many Americans across the nation and ultimately aids in the prevention of many cardiovascular diseases and related deaths. The AHA provides many resources to promote a healthy lifestyle. It provides information about cardiovascular diseases. It also promotes research, with the focus on reducing the incidence of these conditions. It specifically tries to reach out to students and young people to help prevent the risk of heart problems as they age.

In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. With the stereotypical American lifestyle, the risk of having heart disease or a stroke have increased greatly over the years. These two conditions have been the cause of millions of people’s deaths. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of their heart health until it is far too late. Leading a healthy lifestyle can be difficult especially for us college students, but, it is not something to ignore. With the help of the American Heart Association, many people can learn how to avoid heart disease and lead healthier lifestyles.

Sigma Psi Kappa definitely made an impact on the NJIT community and raised awareness for cardiovascular health. With the help of the students, the sisters were able to raise over $300 to help the American Heart Association. Not only were students able to enjoy a fun night with their friends, but they are also now more aware of the largest health concern that affects many people everyday.

For more information, go to www.heart.org to learn more about how you, too, can lead a healthy lifestyle.