DOWAGIAC — Community members will have a chance to support five of Dowagiac’s sororities this October in an effort to raise money for two local charities.

On Thursday, Oct. 24, residents can pick up their meals made by The Skillet, a restaurant in South Bend, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Front Street Crossing location, 227 S. Front St., of the Cass County Council on Aging.

Annually, the five chapters of Beta Sigma Phi, a national service organization that includes sorority chapters: Alpha Kappa, Kappa Beta, Theta Mu, Xi Delta Mu, And Zeta Chi in Dowagiac, have gathered together for a fundraiser. In the past, the sororities have hosted a chili supper. This year, they are changing things up. The Skillet offers a chicken roast fundraiser for organizations.

The sororities will have $25 tickets for pre-sale available until Oct. 20. However, extra meals may be available if they call the COA at Front Street Crossing.

The meal will feed four people and includes a pint of kluski noodles, eight pieces of roasted chicken, one pint of mashed potatoes with a half pint of chicken gravy, a pint of seasoned green beans, four biscuits with homemade honey butter and an eight-inch pan of double chocolate brownies.

“It’s delicious, I can speak from experience,” said Beth Cripe, the organizer of the event. “Fortunately, a lot of people in town know it’s good too.”

Kelli Casey, the manager of the COA’s Front Street Crossing location in Dowagiac, agreed and said other members of the community have used The Skillet for fundraising opportunities.

“Makes it an easy sell for people,” Casey said.

Every year, all five sororities in Dowagiac have to vote on two local charities to donate the money to. This year, the sororities have chosen to donate to Cass County Animal Control and Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services.

DASAS is a non-profit serving men, women and children harmed by domestic, sexual or partner violence.

In years past, the five sororities have raised more than $800 at the event. The money is then split between the two charities.

“All the profits stay right here in Cass County,” Cripe said. “We try to spread it out every year and not continue to do the same charities.”

Cripe said because the sororities are a group of women, they tend to focus on charities that benefit women.

“Animals, who doesn’t love animals?” Cripe said of the sororities’ decision to support Cass County Animal Shelter.

At this year’s event, Cripe said the sororities’ goal is to bring in as much money as they can to benefit the two local charities.

“We are shooting for the same goal,” Cripe said. “More would be better.”

Cripe said the sororities in Dowagiac do philanthropic work and have more than 60 women involved in the five sororities.