By Madalyn Watson | Staff Writers
As Valentine’s Day approaches, many students are finishing up gifts to show love and appreciation for their loved ones. Luckily for last minute shoppers, several on-campus organizations will hold Valentine-themed sales on the love-centric holiday and will donate their profits to charities.
Frantic last minute shoppers will have the options of different flowers, baked goods and sweets as well as books to purchase.
Alpha Delta Pi’s (ADPI) Zeta Chi chapter will have their “Roses for Ronald” sale on Fountain Mall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 14. The proceeds will go to their philanthropy, Ronald McDonald House, which provides housing for parents that have a long-term illness or injury.
Flower Mound sophomore Samantha Dietzler, the recruitment and marketing vice-president of ADPI, said that in addition to selling roses for $2 each, they will sell bags of chocolate for $1.
“All of the proceeds are going to go to the Ronald McDonald house in Temple, which is the house that we go to to volunteer pretty much every month,” Dietzler said.
The sisters of ADPI help out with cleaning and preparing meals when they volunteer at the Ronald McDonald house.
“Basically, the [Ronald McDonald] houses are placed near medical centers,” Dietzler said. “It’s a place for families to stay when they have children going through intensive medical treatment.”
Dietzler said that the houses are a place for these families to decompress while staying close to their children. The Ronald McDonald houses are meant to serve as a home away from home.
“They don’t have to commute far distances, if their house isn’t near a medical center where they can seek the proper medical treatment they need,” Dietzler said.
Students can also buy flowers from the fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon’s (TKE) Carnations for a Cause sale that is going on all week.
The carnations can be preordered for $1 at their booth in the SUB and will be handed out this week on Fountain Mall. For every five carnations they sell, they’ll give one for free.
The proceeds of their Carnations for a Cause event will go to their philanthropy St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Sigma Tau Delta, Baylor’s chapter of the International English Honor society, will be selling having their “Literary Cupid” bake sale in the lobby of the Carroll Science Building from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
The baked goods sold will include cookies, brownies, macaroons and other goodies, along with some vegan and gluten-free options. Their prices will fall into the $1 to $2 dollar price range.
New Braunfels senior Morgan Pettis, the secretary of Sigma Tau Delta, will be making vegan banana bread for the bake sale.
“Whenever you buy one of our baked goods, you get to pick one of the literary quotes because in theory, it’s a Valentine to give somebody,” Pettis said.
Last year, Sigma Tau Delta divided the Valentine’s Day notes into four categories that convey varying levels of commitment: ‘Marry me now’, ‘We’re Okay’, ‘Friends’ and ‘Never talk to me again.’
“Not all of them are romantic quotes, some are for friendships, for acquaintances, crushes, like literally the varying levels of commitment you could have,” Pettis said.
Members of Sigma Tau Delta submit their favorite lines from books, poems and other literary pieces of work.
“It’s really nice for the people who forget it’s Valentine’s Day, and they got to get their person something last minute,” Pettis said.
This year, all of the money made from their “Literary Cupid” bake sale will be donated to Benetch, a non-profit organization that provides technology to people with disabilities that helps them read.
Also, the Sociology of Undergraduate Lives (SOUL) will be giving out baked goods to people who sign up to receive updates on their events in Vera Martin Plaza from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Valentine’s Day.
Other sweet treats, such as Chocolate Covered Strawberries, will be sold by the women of the Alpha Eta chapter of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. (SIA) Sorority in the SUB from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Valentine’s Day.
The milk and white chocolate covered strawberries can be pre-ordered for $3 for two strawberries and $5 for four strawberries. The payment should be sent to their Venmo @BaylorSIA.
All of the proceeds of the sale will go to Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc.’s philanthropy, Camp One Heartland. According to their website, Camp One Heartland aims to help children and families with medical problems or social isolation.
In addition to all these flower and sweets sales, the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society is having Valentine’s Book Sale all-day in the Tidwell lobby on Feb. 13 and 14.
