On Monday, April 12, 2021, the Delta Xi Chapter at McNeese State University presented a check for $5,000 to the St. Nicholas Center for Children, a nonprofit pediatric therapy center for children with Autism, located in Lake Charles, LA. The chapter raised these funds during their “Rent a Gent” event.
“Every year in the spring we host a Rent-a-Gent fundraiser,” Number I Jake Goodman commented. “We set up a stage at our house and have every active pick some type of song, dance, or skit to perform on stage. We invite ladies to attend and after each performance, they have a chance to bid on a brother to take them out on a date. It’s a lot of fun for us and them and we make it a competition to see who can go for the most.”
In addition to wanting to support the children, the Delta Xi Chapter wanted to help the St. Nicholas Center after it suffered major damages from hurricane Laura and Delta and was forced to moved locations.
“The last 18 months have been extremely difficult for St. Nicholas Center for Children as we’ve struggled to recover from hardships caused by Covid-19, two major hurricanes, a rare winter storm, and a record-breaking flood,” Development Director Brittany Schwem said in an email. “Although our path has been difficult and the road ahead is long, with the support of our community the future of the Center and our clients is incredibly bright!”
The St. Nicholas Center offers a wide range of services including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Social Skills training, and diagnostic testing. Services are provided to children with Autism, developmental delays, and neurological disorders in a fun, loving, and educational environment.
