The United Way of Greater St. Louis (UWGSL) Charmaine Chapman Society’s (CCS) Divine 9 members raised over $320,000 through its Divine 9 Challenge, an initiative of UWGSL’s Black philanthropy efforts. The challenge among CCS members from Black fraternities and sororities in the St. Louis region provides a friendly fundraising competition. Each CCS member gives an annual donation of $1,000 or more to UWGSL that helps over 160 local nonprofits that United Way funds.
“As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of CCS, we are so happy that our local sororities and fraternities came together through this fun and exciting Divine 9 Challenge that epitomizes what CCS has always been about – uplifting the community through collective giving,” said Michelle Tucker, President and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis. “This annual friendly competition is a testament of how passionate our CCS members are about giving, and that passion leads to positive change in the lives of our neighbors in need.”
Delta Sigma Theta and Alpha Phi Alpha led the way with Delta Sigma Theta raising $82,321.85 and Alpha Phi Alpha raising $69,762 respectively. The winners were announced last week at the Charmaine Chapman Leadership Giving Society: Our 30-Year Legacy event. Alpha Kappa Alpha came in third place with $63,622.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the local CCS is one of the top African American philanthropic giving groups in the nation. This year, Arica and Steven Harris served as co-chairs for the Divine 9 Challenge as well as the overall CCS campaign.