Boston Bombing Remembrance

BY COLLEEN HUBER
Kappa Sigma will host an event on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and Thursday, Feb. 27, in remembrance of the Boston Bombing that ocurred April 15, 2013.
Along with 50 other chapters of Kappa Sigma, the University of Mary Washington chapter will host a prayer canvas that is 73 yards by six yards.
The canvas is provided by an organization called “America 4 Boston,” a grassroots project designed to honor the Boston Marathon bombing victims and the city of Boston, according to their website. The organization was created to show “America’s unity and humanity,” according to the “America 4 Boston website.
The canvas began traveling around the U.S. in May 2013 and will end February 2014, according to their website.
The fraternity encourages UMW students to sign the canvas, which will be located in Ball Circle.
“Students can sign their name, write a nice message or draw a picture, whatever they want to express,” said Cooper Stone, senior.
Once the canvas is complete, it will be send to the Kappa Sigma headquarters and then onto “America 4 Boston.” The canvases from all 50 participating Kappa Sigma chapters will be connected and presented at the Boston Red Sox stadium in the upcoming season.
At the same time as the signing of the banner, Kappa Sigma will also be fundraising for the Fisher House Foundation, Kappa Sigma’s philanthropy.
The Fisher House Foundation provides “a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment,” according to their website.
Each year, Kappa Sigma strives to raise $1,000 for the Fisher House Foundation. During the canvas signing, Kappa Sigma will be collecting money from students for the foundation.
“Anything helps,” said Stone. “It’s going for a good cause.”
The canvas will only be available for those two days and will honor the victims of the bombing and the city of Boston.
“Hopefully students reach out and hopefully it will be a success,” said Stone.
On the Feb. 26, students will be able to sign the canvas from 2 to 5 p.m. On Feb. 27, the canvas will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. After the signing, there will be a brothers-only picture at 5 p.m., where the members of Kappa Sigma will take their picture with the canvas. At 5:30 p.m., there will be another picture that is open to all UMW students.