Senior education major Steward Stiles is hosting a date auction through Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity to fundraise for charity. The auction will be held on Dec. 10 at Webster University at 7 p.m. in the East Academic Building.
At this point in time, Stiles has selected 20 participants and each will be auctioned starting at $5. The contestants include students from Webster as well as other campuses around St. Louis. Stiles said finding contenders wasn’t the easiest task.
“I think a lot of the students were leery at first about being sold to a complete stranger,” Stiles said. “But after assuring everybody they would be safe, their focus shifted towards profiting the charity.”
After the auction, Stiles plans for all of the participants to accompany each other to the date. He said this way everybody can feel comfortable and connect with students from other campuses. The date will take place next Friday, Dec. 20 at the St. Louis Mills Ice Skating Rink.
Phi Beta Sigma prides itself on giving back. This year, Sigma Initiative raised enough to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the hungry. Now, Stiles is determined to raise between $400 and $500 at the date auction.
Lawrence Williams, a member of the fraternity, said the proceeds will go to Sigma Initiative, where the fraternity keeps all funding for helping the community and needy families.
“It’s a blessing to give back, and it’s a blessing to help someone who needs it,” Williams said. “This is the number one reason why I joined the fraternity. I would rather give back even if I’m not making any money.”
Stiles said most events given by Phi Beta Sigma are catered towards Webster students but for the auction, he is hoping to attract students from other campuses as well. Stiles, along with his frat brothers, have posted fliers around Webster, Harris Stowe State College and the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL).
“I’m always nervous when I give events,” Stiles said. “Hopefully people from all over will see the importance of the event and come show us support.”
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