Sigma Gamma Rho Distributes Backpacks, Teaches Swim Lessons and Assembles Newborn Care Packages Across Tampa for Caravans of Hope Impact Day

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. took its service into the streets of Tampa on Wednesday, July 22, hosting its Caravans of Hope Community Impact Day as part of the sorority’s 61st International Biennial Boule.

From 1 to 4 p.m., sorors and affiliates fanned out across the Tampa Bay area, partnering with local organizations on projects centered on maternal health, youth development, education, food security, and water safety. Volunteers worked toward distributing 3,000 backpacks through Operation Big Book Bag, providing 300 free swim lessons through Swim 1922, and assembling 300 newborn care packages through Project Cradle Care.

Olympic medalists and Sigma Gamma Rho sorors Maritza McClendon, the first Black woman to earn a spot on a United States Olympic swim team, and Natalie Hinds, a bronze medalist, were also on hand, a fitting presence alongside the day’s Swim 1922 water-safety lessons.

The day’s projects stretched across the city. Swim 1922 taught water safety at the Martin Luther King Jr. Pool, Operation Big Book Bag and the Youth Symposium were held at Sulphur Springs K-8 School, the Healthy Beginnings effort combining the Women’s Wellness Initiative and Project Cradle Care was based at the Tampa Convention Center, and the food security project partnered with Feeding Tampa Bay.

Caravans of Hope is one highlight of a larger week. More than 5,000 members, affiliates, partners, and guests have gathered in Tampa for the 61st International Biennial Boule, running July 22 through 26 at the Tampa Convention Center, where delegates will elect leadership, strengthen governance, and develop future leaders. On Tuesday, July 21, the sorority unveiled its commemorative Riverwalk Paver during a ceremony marking its legacy of leadership, scholarship, sisterhood, and service.

The week also features the Welcome to Tampa Celebration, the Annie Neville Awards Luncheon, the She-E-O Business Pitch Competition, the Rhoyal Rumble Step Competition, and the Public Meeting. The public is invited to attend the Public Meeting on Thursday, July 23, at 7 p.m. at the Tampa Convention Center West/Central Hall.

“At Sigma Gamma Rho, we believe sisterhood is most meaningful when it is lived through service,” said International President Marica T. Harris. “Our Boule is where we celebrate our legacy, conduct the business that strengthens our future, invest in local communities, and create lasting change through our Five Essential Programs.”