Delta Delta Delta and Sigma Nu will host the Be The Hero 5k Run and Fun Walk at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Panther Trail to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Tri Delta will host an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the sorority’s chapter house in Greek Court. Members of Tri Delta will cook the pancakes. Tickets for the breakfast are $5.

A St. Jude patient will be at the pancake breakfast at noon to talk about their experience with St. Jude.

Maggie Doyle, philanthropy chair of Delta Delta Delta, said a 5k had been done before and had a great turnout from not only the Greek community, but the Eastern and Charleston Community as well. The fun walk was added this year.

“We wanted to include those people who don’t like to run, but still want to participate,” Doyle said.

Doyle said her trip down to Memphis for the St. Jude Leadership Weekend was a life-changing experience that allowed her to see how much St. Jude has grown.

“I am very blessed to be the philanthropy chair and get to work with St. Jude,” Doyle said. “You don’t have to worry about where the money is going, you know it’s going to do great things.”

Doyle Nave, philanthropy chair of Sigma Nu, said several members of Sigma Nu will be running and walking as well as having 25 members volunteering at the event.

“St. Jude is a great cause to donate either time or money to,” Nave said.

Jennifer Smutz, Regional Development Representative for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has been working with the philanthropy chairs to get all the St. Jude related details answered to get the event going.

Smutz said her favorite part of working with Eastern’s Tri Delta chapter is seeing the passion they have for St. Jude and the hard work that the women do throughout the year.

“It’s so inspiring to see what they (Tri Delta) are willing to do for St. Jude and the kids,” Smutz said.

Smutz encourages everyone to come out and support this event because there are St. Jude patients within the Charleston community that will be positively affected by this event.

Tri Delta has been a national philanthropic partner with St. Jude since November 1999. Tri Delta national’s latest pledge is to raise $60 million in 10 years.

Students, faculty, staff and community members can register online or at 9 a.m. Saturday before the race. The race is $25 which includes a St. Jude T-shirt and admission to the pancake breakfast.

For more information contact Maggie Doyle at medoyle@eiu.edu.

Cayla Maurer can be reached at 581-2812 or ccmaurer@eiu.edu.