By Oniska Blevins | The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. brought the famous Kentucky Derby to Selma Saturday evening.

The organization hosted its Red Kentucky Derby at the Carneal ArtsRevive Building, where guests were dressed to impress in their wide hats and Sunday’s best. They mingled, ate and chattered about the famous race.

The derby is one of the sorority’s many fundraisers, and all proceeds support junior and senior high school students in Dallas, Lowndes and Perry counties through the Selma Alumnae Chapter Scholarship Fund.

Red Kentucky Derby Committee chair Yeteva Johnson said the idea was started after one of the chapter member’s son suggested the idea as a fundraiser.

“We wanted to introduce something new to the area,” Johnson said. “We decided [the derby] needs to be an annual event.”

Each scholarship is given to the recipient at the beginning of the second semester of college. The chapter doesn’t just donate to schools. They give back to other endeavors as well.

“We think it’s very important for students to know that the Black Belt is not all you can do,” she said. “We support a trade, we support a college whether it be a four year or two year. We want them to see the world is bigger than Selma, Alabama.”

This is the sorority’s second year of hosting the derby, and committee member Robin Anthony said they are hoping to raise more money this year than the last.

“Our goal this year is to exceed the goal we had last year,” Anthony said. “Last year, we raised about $2,500, so this year we’re trying to do $2,700.”

This year the sorority made extra efforts to reach their goal.

“This year we have more participation,” she said. “Our [sorority members] took on more tickets and our new initiates helped with donations.”

Anthony said because of those efforts they were only a few hundred dollars away from the goal at the start of the event.

“We are a little shy of [the goal] about $200 to $300, and it is probably being made up as of today,” she said.