Xi Beta Xi raises money for Othello Food Bank
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 2 weeks AGO
From left: Angie Vasquez and Jose Garza of the Othello Food Bank accept a donation of more than $2,400 from Xi Beta Xi Vice President Debbie Pegram, Extension Officer Sheila Simmons and Treasurer Linda Brady.
COURTESY PHOTO/XI BETA XI
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | December 18, 2025 3:25 AM
OTHELLO — The ladies of Xi Beta Xi showed their support for the Othello Food Bank last week, to the tune of $2,413.
“We held a holiday auction,” said Xi Beta Xi Vice President Debbie Pegram. “All of us in the group (brought) silent auction items, and we invited all the other groups in town.”
The proceeds from that auction all went to the food bank, Pegram said.
“We’re passionate about the food bank, so that’s one of our priorities,” Pegram said.
Xi Beta Xi is an affiliate chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, which on its website is described as a non-collegiate sorority. It was established in 1931, according to the website, to bring women together and let them build support and friendships with other women. Today, the organization boasts more than 165,000 members with chapters worldwide. Besides Xi beta Xi, there are two other chapters in Othell,o as well as one in Ephrata, one in Moses Lake and one in Quincy.
Xi Beta Xi has a membership of 12, Pegram said. Besides the food bank, the chapter raises supplies for New Hope in Moses Lake and sells Christmas wreaths for scholarships for Othello High School students.
Not everything is a fundraiser for the community, however.
“We do have fun too,” Pegram said. “We do a trip every year. Just the girls go, and it’s a secret trip. The people who plan it know where we’re going, and the whole weekend is a surprise (for everyone else).”
More information about Beta Sigma Phi can be found at bspinternational.org.
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