BROWNSTOWN — Considering the cause, Morgan Branaman said she was honored when she was asked to be a queen contestant for Phi Beta Psi Theta Omega chapter’s Cancer Dance.
She and six other local high school senior girls came up with their own ways of collecting money to go toward the sorority’s national project, cancer research.
Branaman, 17, a senior at Brownstown Central High School, received help from Angie Schepman in decorating cans and placing them at locations around the county: Jubilee Flowers and Gifts in Seymour, Family Drug in Brownstown and Seymour and Lucas-Ackerman True Value Hardware Supply and Tammy’s Dance Studio, both in Brownstown.
Also, her mother, Leah, helped mail letters to several businesses, and she said she got an amazing response. Plus, friends and family members reached out to support her efforts, and people donated through the sorority’s Venmo account in her name.
“I was shocked how many people donated through that way,” Branaman said. “I am so thankful that I get to live in a community that is so supportive.”
Contestants had between the middle of December and the first week of February to raise money, and the one collecting the most was crowned queen at the Cancer Dance on Feb. 5 at Pewter Hall in Brownstown.
Branaman won that title, and to make it even better, it was announced that a record was set in the 49th year of the fundraiser: $25,732.
“I was so thrilled to hear that I had won queen, and I was so happy to hear that all of us girls had broken the record for raising money,” she said.
On its Facebook page, the sorority expressed appreciation to the queen candidates. Joining Branaman were Chloe Covert of BCHS, Chloe Mellencamp, Hayley Harpe, Lillie Wessel and Madalyn Baurle of Seymour High School and Kamzi Gross of Trinity Lutheran High School.
“We are so proud and thankful for each and every one of you,” the post reads.
Thanks also were given to Pewter Hall for hosting, The Jackson Way for playing music, donors who contributed to the raffle baskets and people who attended the dance.
Branaman said it was important to her to support a cause like cancer because everyone at some point in their life will be affected by it.
“I know people that have battled with cancer or are currently battling it today,” she said. “I know what it can do to a person and what it can do to a family, and I wanted to do anything I could to help them, and I felt like this was a perfect opportunity to do what I could to help so that one day, cancer will be a thing of the past.”
A bonus with the experience is Branaman knew all of the other contestants.
“Chloe Covert is one of my best friends, Hayley Harpe and I go to Emmanuel Church together, I met Chloe Mellencamp during volleyball in middle school and on our eighth grade Washington, D.C., trip, I have worked with Madalyn Baurle at B.loved boutique for the past three years and Lillie Wessel and Kamzi Gross were my roommates at Camp Lakeview when we would go as kids,” she said. “So it was really cool that I had a connection to all of them already. This made for a super fun night.”
The sorority looks forward to the next event Feb. 4, 2023, because it will be the 50th anniversary.
“If other girls are thinking about doing the Cancer Dance in the future, I would highly recommend doing it,” Branaman said. “It gives you an opportunity to raise money for a great cause, and it’s a super fun night full of good food, being with friends and family, dancing and possibly playing the drums. Jackson Way, the band that performed that night, let me come up onstage and Shawn Charlton let me play the drums.”