Students showed their support last Thursday at the Winona State University’s Tri-Sigma sorority’s Rockin’ for Robbie concert for The Robbie Paige Memorial Foundation.
This was the sorority’s first benefit concert raising money for the foundation, which supports care for hospitalized children through play therapy.
The foundation was originally created to raise money towards finding a cure for polio, after the son of the Tri-Sigma national president died from the disease.
Now, the money earned now for the foundation is donated to two hospitals that Tri-Sigma sponsors: the North Carolina Memorial Hospital at Chapel Hill and the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
Joy Horkey, treasurer for Tri-Sigma, said the goal for the concert was to raise more than the $750 from sorority members’ donations. Each member of the sorority is required to pay a $25 fee toward the foundation.
The Robbie Paige Memorial Foundation is a national foundation that is supported by all national Tri-Sigma sororities.
After extensive advertising for the concert through flyers, campus e-mails and radio publicity, the Winona Tri-Sigma sorority was able to raise $1,029 this year for the foundation.
The Tri-Sigma sorority had traditionally done a spring walk-a-thon to raise money for the foundation.
These walk-a-thons have had great success in the past, Horkey said, but after hearing about the success of a benefit concert from the Tri-Sigma chapter at the University of Wisconsin—River Falls, the Winona chapter decided to try a new approach this year.
“It’s a trial run. I’m hoping that we will be able to do this again next year and build it as a new tradition,” Horkey said.
Chairperson for Tri-Sigma’s foundation committee, Lauren Solmonson, said that the sorority’s foundation committee has still yet to decide whether to continue the benefit concert in the future based on this year’s success.
Three student bands, two local and one from the Twin Cities, Minn., area, volunteered to perform at the concert, held last Thursday night in Winona State’s student union.
The bands were Wake Up Bedhead, Brass Lamp and Skyline Citizen.
For the musicians of Skyline Citizen, performing at benefit concert is a great tradition.
The band has played at other benefit concerts that included raising money for global awareness and breast cancer awareness.
“Whenever we can play a show that’s more than for just playing music—that’s important. It’s my favorite kind of performance,” Skyline Citizen’s bassist Tyler Scholl said.
Many students were encouraged to attend the concert by friends involved in the sorority.
Junior and education major Sarah O’Brien felt especially connected to the cause at last week’s concert.
“I’m in the ed(ucation) program and it really has a lot to do with working with kids,” O’Brien said. “Raising money for these kids is important.”

Contact Rachel at RDSmith5697@winona.edu