Missouri Southern’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha recently held what it hopes will become an annual powder puff football game.

The game was held Oct. 27 and was $10 per person.

The proceeds from the game went to their national philanthropy Girls on the Run.

The program is a nonprofi t group that helps girls, ages 8 to 13, build self-esteem that creatively integrates running.

Girls on the Run is based out of Charlotte, N.C., and reaches across the United States and Canada with 190 councils.

“The foundation works with girls and gets them together to help [with these issues],” McKyeila Pembleton, junior ASA sorority member, said.

“They train together and run a 5k. It shows they can do it by themselves and achieve something. [The] powder-puff game has to do with girl power as well as the athletic part, we thought it’d be perfect.”

Two teams participated with Zeta Tau Alpha winning the game. The game was open to all Southern students with a Lion Card.

“We had a blast together. We didn’t have as many teams as I thought we would but that was O.K.,” Pembleton said.

“I’m hoping this will become one of our big events that everyone looks forward to and more people want to do. It’s for a good cause and people [should] understand about that cause.”

ASA works throughout the year to raise money for philanthropy events and also volunteers with programs in the Joplin community.

There are 37 members in the University’s ASA chapter and each member strives to complete 25 hours of community service per semester.

“We double what National requires, which is 25 per year, so by the time that we meet for National’s we will have 50 hours of community service,” she said.

From events like Take Back the Night or their upcoming Walk-a-thon, Pembleton said members in ASA take “giving back to the community” seriously.

The upcoming Walk-a-thon will be in Nov. and will help to support Special Olympics.

“We’re hoping to raise money and we’re [also] hoping to get members from the community involved as well. We’re [trying] to get area schools like Neosho, Nevada and Joplin involved as well,” she said.

The location is undecided but they have talked about holding the event in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

For those members that are new to the area, ASA provides a way to make them feel like they are part of the community.

“We explain what we’re doing. Whatever organization, say Watered Gardens, we tell them why we’re helping and explain what they do and what it does. Once they understand the purpose, the girls are 100 percent willing to help out,” Pembleton said.

“They know how good of a cause it is and what it builds personally.”