What Friends are For: Sigma Sigma Sigma helps five-year-old girl make bracelets to benefit friend

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Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith/Staff Photographer Sigma Sigma Sigma members Novi senior Bryn Smetana, left, Petosky sophomore Rachel Serafini and Illinois freshman Kim Winzentsen talk as they make safety-pin bracelets Tuesday evening during a fundraiser at the sorority, 514 S. Main St. "It's for a good cause and the kids are adorable," Seraphini said. The bracelets, which cost 15 dollars a piece and are available at Stone Soup, 120 E. Broadway St., benefit Daisy Higgins, 5, of Rosebush who was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder this year.

Five-year-old Libby Olson wants to do everything she can to help out her best friend Daisy Higgins.

Daisy, also 5, was recently diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that attacks her right cheek bone, said Crystal Olson, Libby’s mother. She said Daisy needs to go to Lansing every week for chemotherapy.

Olson said she and her daughter started making and selling beaded safety-pin bracelets to raise money for Daisy and her family.

On Tuesday night, the pair got a lot of help making bracelets from about 50 members of Sigma Sigma Sigma at the sorority’s 430 S. Main St. house.

“We’ve sold at least 300,” Olson said. “We’re just excited to be supporting what is an example of true friendship between these girls.”

She said the bracelets are available at Stone Soup Gifts and Accessories, 120 E. Broadway St., for $15 each.

Each bracelet has a outline of a daisy on it. Olson said her and her daughter’s fingers started bleeding from making so many.

The sorority was also joined by Olson’s 12-year-old daughter Emma.

Sigma Sigma Sigma made about 30 bracelets, Olson said.

The sorority came up with the idea after member Chloe Fletcher, an Alpena junior, visited Stone Soup and came across the jewelry.

Fletcher said after she saw them, she talked to the owner and was moved to help the cause.

“It’s just a really inspiring story and having Libby and Crystal here is inspiring for us,” she said.

Fletcher said she made four bracelets on Tuesday alone.

Grand Rapids junior Jillian Folkerts said she plans to buy one bracelet for each of her family members for Christmas.

She said Sigma Sigma Sigma has referred the products and cause to several people.

“I can only imagine how much money they’re making off these,” Folkerts said.

Hope Foreman said she is inspired by how Libby wants to help her friend.

“I like how this little girl is so into helping out other people,” the Clarkston freshman said. “It’s really inspiring. A lot of young kids usually don’t have that much inspiration.”

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