By Eagle Newswire
On Saturday, April 14, 2018, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated®, made history with the chartering of its first four letter chapter, Alpha Alpha Alpha Omega, in the Mid-Western Region, City of Broken Arrow, Okla. A special chartering ceremony was lead by Mid-Western Regional Director, Jan M. Carpenter Baker, at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Convention Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, surrounded by 22 charter members and approximately 100 sorority members who had traveled as far as California, Texas and New Jersey to witness the historic event.
The first Alpha Kappa Alpha Greek lettered graduate chapter “Alpha Omega” was established in 1917 in Cleveland, Ohio. As a result of the tremendous growth of this premier service organization, now 110 years later, Alpha Alpha Alpha Omega Chapter became the 1017th chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and the 46th chapter in the Mid-Western Region, which is comprised of eight states including Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.
On April 19, 2017, the group was approved by the organization’s eighteen-member board of directors to begin the chartering process by establishing the official interest group, The Pearls of Legacy – Broken Arrow, Okla. From that date forward the group has made an impact on the Broken Arrow community working tirelessly to establish a foundation for a graduate chapter that would be viable and sustainable for years to come. They conducted service programs in the areas of 1) Educational Enrichment – providing backpacks and school supplies to the Broken Arrow Neighbors and donating books to Second Chance Program; 2) Health Promotion – donating and participating as a team in the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Walk. Support and adoption of Alzheimer/Dementia residents at Brookdale Cedar Ridge Assisted Living Facility, where they donated toiletries and seasonal wrap items. Providing monthly health education tips on various health issues of concern especially to the African American female population; 3) Family Strengthening – donating canned goods to the Broken Arrow Neighbors Food Pantry. Providing healthy snacks to two schools in Broken Arrow supporting Childhood Hunger Awareness Day; and 4) Environmental Ownership – adopted two above ground beds during the Broken Arrow Neighbors “Come Grow with Us” project where they were responsible for planting vegetables and fruits as well as maintaining the gardens throughout the summer.
A highly exhilarating luncheon celebration was held after the chartering ceremony, where members of the Broken Arrow community came out to recognize and congratulate the charter members including the Honorable Mayor Craig Thurmond, Broken Arrow Neighbors Executive Director, Kim Goddard, and Oklahoma State Representative Regina Goodwin. A special greeting via video was presented by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s International President Dr. Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson.
Charter members include: Carole Andrews, Katherine Bracy, Nuceka Bracy- Chatman, Vonda Burrell, Yolanda Crooms, Tamarah Danzy, Dr. Loretha “Toby” Earles, Gloria Nicole Gordon, Robyn Harrison, LaQuisha Jackson, Brenda Lewis, Alisia Myers, Evelyn Page, Violet Patterson, Dr. Emily Patterson-Harris, Gwynell Patterson-Wilson, Isabelle Phillips, Lynetria Rhodes-Johnson, Sydney Staten, Lucile Thierry, Sabrina Ware, and Danette Williams.
The women of Alpha Alpha Alpha Omega are committed to continue their outstanding service to the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma community, the Mid-Western Region and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated®.
The Mid-Western Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was established in 1924. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® is an international organization founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, it is one of the world’s leading service organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life for citizens through “service to all mankind.” It is comprised of over 300,000 members in 1020 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Africa and the Middle East. For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., visit www.aka1908.com.
