Photo by: Greg Lau
T.J. Olwig sits outside on a foldout chair with a sign that says, “Leave purses and Cell Phones here.” A beaming brunette pokes her head from behind a door and beckons him to come in and look at her jeans. She seems pleased with their conversation, and Olwig returns to his aluminum chair.
“I don’t understand it. Jeans all look the same to me,” said Olwig.
Olwig escorted his girlfriend Thursday to the Delta Gamma Designer Denim sale in Driscoll Center.
“She wouldn’t let herself buy any jeans last week at the mall because she knew she could get them here. She’s been pretty pumped for a while,” said Olwig.
Twice each year the Delta Gamma sorority holds a designer jean sale to benefit Service for Sight, the international Delta Gamma philanthropy project. Service for Sight is a project that raises money for charities benefiting the blind. Locally, the Denver Anchor Center is the focus of Delta Gamma’s fundraising.
“There is a need to help the blind,” said Denison Clark, a junior Delta Gamma, “We put a lot of time and energy into this.”
In 1936, Ruth Billow, a Delta Gamma member, suggested that the sorority do something to address the issue of aiding the visually impaired. For Billow, who was blind from a childhood accident, this issue was especially meaningful. Since then, Delta Gamma sorority chapters nationwide have donated millions of dollars to charities benefiting the blind.
“My grandma was a Delta Gamma, and she said they did things for the blind,” said Laura Speller.
For the past four years, DU Delta Gammas have held jean sales. All of the merchandise comes from the nonprofit organization, Charity Denim, which purchases jeans from wholesale dealers and sells them for up to 70 percent off the list price.
For every 160 pairs of jeans sold, $1,000 is donated to the charity of choice. For the Delta Gammas, 50 percent of the funds raised will go to Service for Sight and the other 50 percent to the Anchor Center.
“It is definitely a good incentive,” said Kelsey Cole, a junior Delta Gamma, who was working outside the Sturm building – tempting passers-by with an array of jeans. Cole believes that people get excited about buying a designer product at a major discount; but the charity element makes people even more likely to buy.
“We have had people spend over $200 before. Easily,” said Marissa Loken, president of Delta Gamma.
“DU is by far my most successful producer,” said Traci Scarce, one of the organizers of the sale at DU. Charity Denim does two other sales, at CSU-Boulder and CSU in Fort Collins.
The total value of merchandise at this sale, according to Scarce, was estimated at $80,000. Once the merchandise is delivered to DU, the Delta Gamma sorority is responsible for the sale.
“We do all the advertising ourselves,” said Loken, “Facebook was a huge part of it.”
“The Delta Gamma Charity Jean Sale” Facebook event received affirmative RSVPs from over 300 people. Perhaps that is why Scarce said the DU sales sell more in one hour of a sale than others do throughout the entire day.
“People want a good product,” said Loken, “I think that is part of why the sales are so successful.”
Loken leaned on a table covered in various shades of denim. A dry-erase board behind her listed the names of more than 20 designers who make jeans.
“Ugghh,” said Sarah McElroy. “They are nice to look at.”
McElroy and her friend sorted through the jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets looking for the perfect outfit.
Several shoppers at the jean sale suggested the Olwig look into purchasing some jeans himself, but he assured them that the ones he already owned were just fine.
