The Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta has established some popular and important community events in Madison during its 44 years of existence. On Sunday, Oct. 17, the sisterhood of predominantly Black, college-educated women will be introducing a new one as they present “Tricks and Treats,” an autumn gathering at Warner Park Shelter on Madison’s north side.
“The whole idea is for this to not only be fun but for it to be ‘purposeful fun,'” Bobbie Briggs, president of the Madison Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., tells Madison365. “That’s what we’re going for with this. We wanted to make sure that there were plenty of things to do but also that people will leave with something. So it was important that there would be some type of educational piece that was a part of this.”
There will be a variety of activities going on at this fall community gathering including pumpkin decorating, voter registration, games for kids and adults, financial literacy activities for adults and kids, food trucks, candy bags, books and much more. Participants may consider buying Delta Sigma shirts online that they can wear for the event.
“We will have activities for both kids and adults. We want this to be about you picking up some new tricks as well as gathering some treats for yourself,” Briggs says.
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African-American community throughout the United States.
Briggs was recently elected to be the president of the Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta in May taking over from former President Yolanda Shelton-Morris.
“I have not even been here a year yet, so I’m just getting started in my presidency.” Briggs says. “Deltas, as an organization, we stand on our five-point programmatic thrust which includes economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, political awareness and involvement and physical and mental health. We also want to make sure we are doing what we can for our community.
“We started as a community service organization with our first public service act being marching on Washington during the women’s suffrage march back in 1913,” she continues. “We continue with that vibe, and as we bring it to the local level, the Madison Alumnae Chapter continues in the mission, vision and values of Delta as an organization definitely recognizing the needs of the Madison community.”
The Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was formed on August 27, 1977, and for more than 40 years the Deltas have been using their collective skills to cultivate and educate the minority community on political, educational, cultural, economic and social spheres.
“We have definitely been a pillar in Madison for these past 44 years and will continue to do programming that is connected with a lot of organizations in Madison in the areas of our five-point programming thrust,” Briggs says. “It is important for us to be active in the community and we have a close-knit connection with people in the city of Madison, especially the Black community.
The signature event for the Deltas is their Heart and Soul Ball, traditionally held in downtown Madison in February.
“Considering that it was a hybrid event, we did get a lot of people to come and experience that and celebrate the scholarships we give and have fun with us at the virtual ball,” Briggs says of this year’s Heart and Soul Ball celebration. “Of course, we wanted it to be in person and that’s typically more fun and usually what we do … but we showed that the virtual one could be very successful, too.”
This Sunday will be the first time that the Deltas have held a big, outdoor event in the middle of autumn in Madison.
“Mid-October is usually that great time where we will hopefully get some good weather and really enjoy these activities,” Briggs says. “We’re hoping for a nice sunny autumn day in the park still recognizing that COVID is still a thing.
“It is free.99. It’s for anybody and everybody. It’s for all ages,” Briggs adds. “We encourage everybody to come. We will provide music. There will be a lot of great stuff happening. This will be the first time hosting an autumn gathering event like this so we hope to see a lot of people out.”
The Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta will host “Tricks and Treats: A Fall Community Gathering,” at Warner Park Shelter, 2930 N. Sherman Ave., on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2-5 p.m.
