New Chi Omegas Eager to Help Make-A-Wish

SHU’s chapter of Chi Omega has raised more than $115K for Make-A-Wish since 2012

Key Highlights

• ^{Story Topic: Two Sacred Heart University first-year students join Chi Omega and reconnect with Make-A-Wish, the sorority’s national philanthropy partner.}
• ^{Students Featured: Giada Cassara ’29 and Joie Barillo ’29, both former Make-A-Wish recipients now giving back through Chi Omega.}
• ^{Background: Cassara lives with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP); Barillo is a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor who underwent a stem cell transplant.}
• ^{Philanthropy Impact: SHU’s Chi Omega chapter has raised more than $115,000 and donated 4,400+ hours to Make-A-Wish since 2012.}
• ^{Signature Fundraiser: Dancing ‘Wish’ the Stars—an annual fall event judged by Make-A-Wish kids; each $10,000 raised funds a new wish.}
• ^{Core Themes: Student philanthropy, resilience and community engagement.}

Two Sacred Heart University students found this year’s sorority bid day extra special when they were invited to join Chi Omega because it gives them a chance to give back to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which the sorority supports through its philanthropy.

First-year students Giada Cassara ’29 and Joie Barillo ’29 know firsthand the joys that Make-A-Wish creates. Joining Chi Omega on Panhellenic Bid Day, the final event of the annual sorority recruitment process, sets Cassara and Barillo on a path to bring their experience with Make-A-Wish full circle.

Cassara, who is majoring in communication disorders with plans to work with children as a speech-language pathologist, was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) when she was four years old. She was the youngest case ever diagnosed at the time.

A rare chronic autoimmune disorder, CIDP causes the body to believe the protective casing on the nerves (myelin) is a virus and attacks it. This causes severe pain, fatigue, weakness and mobility challenges, often making everyday tasks difficult. Cassara said she never knows how she will be feeling one day to the next—whether pain and/or fatigue will take over her day.

When she was a child, Cassara received gifts from Chi Omega chapters. And Make-A-Wish sent her and her family to Aulani, a Disney resort on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii, for a week.

“Giving back to Make-A-Wish means the absolute world to me,” she said. “I am so grateful to have the opportunity to help other kids. I know how scary it is. Having firsthand experience with Make-A-Wish makes me so excited to work with them now. I’m so honored to give back to the organization and help the children and parents with all the hands-on work and fundraising Chi Omega does.”

Barillo, a psychology major who plans to work as a child life specialist in the health care industry, was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkins lymphoma during her sophomore year of high school. This is an early stage of cancer where malignant cells have spread to two or more lymph nodes. She beat it with chemotherapy in September 2023, then relapsed in March of 2024, leading to a stem cell transplant. She also chose a week on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii, as her Make-A-Wish.

“I feel like Make-A-Wish did so much for me,” said Barillo. “Knowing how it made me happy, I want to see that in other kids that are going through their own medical battles.”

The connection resonated with Sydney Robinson, president of the Sacred Heart chapter of Chi Omega. “Giada’s and Joie’s stories beautifully bring Chi Omega’s partnership with Make-A-Wish to life and remind us why our philanthropy matters,” she said. “Their passion for helping others and their strength through adversity perfectly reflect the values our sisterhood stands for. Seeing them now give back to the organization that once supported them is such a powerful full-circle moment and incredibly inspiring for all of us.”

Chi Omega’s primary fundraising event is called Dancing ‘Wish’ the Stars. During each fall semester, Chi Omega partners with other Greek life organizations on campus to perform choreographed dance routines for a panel of guest judges made up of Make-A-Wish kids.

Since the SHU chapter of Chi Omega was founded, its members have raised more than $115,000 and donated more than 4,400 hours to Make-A-Wish. Each $10,000 raised lets Chi Omega grant a wish. Most recently, the Sacred Heart chapter was able to send one child and his family to Iceland to see the northern lights.

“Getting to see the impact we make on these families is extremely rewarding, and we can’t wait to grant another wish with the $10,000 we’ve most recently raised,” said Robinson.