Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority is helping to “make a child smile” with their annual Balloon Ascension Contest during this year’s Homecoming football game, Oct. 10.

About 35 Tri-Sigma women will release balloons from Huskie Stadium during the National Anthem.

Tri-Sigma Philanthropy Chairwoman Nancy Vaira said NIU’s chapter is selling balloon tags for $1 each in the Pow Wow Room through Thursday.

A tag with the buyer’s name, address and phone number and the Tri-Sigma house address is attached to each balloon before it is released. The person who finds a balloon is to mail the tag back to the Tri-Sigma house, located at 1202 Blackhawk Drive, by Oct. 24.

The person who sends in a tag which is the farthest distance from DeKalb wins $25. The person who originally bought the balloon which traveled the farthest wins a one month free membership to the DeKalb Nautilus Exercise & Fitness Center.

Runners-up will receive prizes including five free tanning sessions at Bahama Bronze Tanning Spa; a $20 gift certificate from Sports of All Sorts, 811 W. Lincoln Highway; a $15 gift certificate from the Crystal Pistol, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway; and a gift certificate for two free pizzas from Domino’s Pizza, 1015 W. Hillcrest.

As Tri-Sigma’s national philanthropy project, the contest is held at over 80 college campuses across the United States, Vaira said.

The proceeds will be put toward the Robbie Page Memorial Fund and distributed to hospitals including the North Carolina Memorial Hospital at Chapel Hill and the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.

Vaira said the contest was started in 1951 by Mary Hastings Holloway Page, the national Tri-Sigma president at that time, whose son, Robbie Page, died that year of Bulbar Polio.

Bulbar Polio is the most common form of polio and now is treatable by vaccination, Sharon Lemke, staff nurse for University Health Service, said.

Tri-Sigma Scholarship Chairwoman Stephanie Ganakos, who was in charge of the project last year, said, “It’s a fun thing,” and “going out in the field was pretty exciting.”

She also said the project has been successful in the past. Last year the homecoming committee asked the sorority to hold the contest during homecoming for the first time. It now will be held this time every year.

Each Tri-Sigma active and pledge member is required to sell at least 10 tickets for the event. The average contribution raised by the sorority is $700, Ganakos said.