South Dakota State University sorority Alpha Omega Epsilon is partnering with the Sioux Falls-based organization Dress for Success to put on a week of events, including a fashion show this upcoming week. 

Dress for Success is an organization with a mission to “empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life,” Elizabeth Braley, AOE Professional Academic said.  

Braley has been a volunteer with Dress for Success for four years and has valued getting the opportunity to volunteer with organizations run by women and for women. She said the best part is how much they want to assist her, as well as their clients.

“AOE partners with Dress for Success in Sioux Falls because of the organization’s mission to support individuals, especially women, who are striving to improve (or start) their professional careers,” AOE President Taryn Fergel said. “One of AOE’s pillars of importance is professionalism, so being able to support an organization that shares some of our same ideals is important to our organization as well.”

Olivia Warriner, AOE philanthropy and social chair, said starting Monday, March 28, AOE will be hosting a different event every day, except Thursday, to promote Dress for Success.

Monday will be a tip night at the Brookings Dairy Queen. Warriner said that if you go to eat at Dairy Queen between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., some of that money will be donated to Dress for Success. 

Tuesday, March 29, AOE will be hosting a clothing drive at 6 p.m. in the Union, where women can come and try on the clothes that have been donated, as well as take whatever items they would like.

Wednesday, March 30, is the main event, the Dress for Success fashion show. This will be hosted in Jack’s Place and will start at 7 p.m. The entry fee is $5. For those $5, you will receive three tickets, and any additional tickets will be $1. You can also purchase a bundle of five tickets for $4.  In between runway sets, there will be four rounds of trivia about SDSU, AOE and Dress for Success. Trivia winners will receive prizes at the event. There will also be a chance to win gift baskets that have been donated. Raffle tickets are priced at $1 apiece or six for $5. Lastly, Friday, April 1, there will be a volleyball tournament in the Wellness Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Braley said she is most looking forward to the fashion show. This will be the second show they have hosted and the first since the pandemic. Braley is excited to see models from other sororities and fraternities walk the runway for the different fashion categories.

There will be five fashion categories presented in the show, SDSU Spirit, Business/Professional, Greek God/Goddess, Spring Attire and a Greek-Life specific Style-Your-Letters category, Fergel said. 

Fergel said this is the first full Success Week for AOE as an organization on campus. She hopes that Success Week becomes an annual event for AOE.

“It (the fashion show) will be lighthearted and silly, and we hope to have a really good time while fundraising for a wonderful non-profit organization,” Braley said.