Dear Marietta College Family,

By now, most of you are aware the Alpha Xi Delta house sustained serious damage following a fire Tuesday evening. Thankfully, no one was injured.

The women who were living in the house were able to return this morning to see if they could salvage any of their personal belongings. As you can imagine, it has been an emotional and stressful time for all these amazing Pioneers.

Last night I mentioned the strong Pioneer Spirit displayed by our students and employees. They were on the scene offering emotional support, as well as offering the displaced members of Alpha Xi Delta a place to stay last night and other needed items.

I also want to express my gratitude to the firefighters who stayed late into the night to make sure there were not any flare ups at the house and showed amazing compassion toward our students. They also returned this morning to assist our students as they re-entered the house to retrieve their personal belongings. There were also dozens of neighbors and other community members who came out to see how they could help. Thank you to everyone who reminded us that we live in an incredible place. The Pioneer Spirit extends well beyond the campus.

Today, the students impacted by last night’s fire are starting to realize they will need to replace textbooks, laptops, clothes, and many other personal items. Many of you have already reached out to ask how you can help. The best way is to donate to the Pioneer Support Fund, which assists students facing unforeseen, one-time emergency expenses that may disrupt their education, such as yesterday’s fire at the Alpha Xi Delta house. After tragedy strikes, the Pioneer Support Fund helps ensure that a student still has what he, she or they need to continue their coursework.

This fund has been in place for more than two decades and the College has been able to utilize these funds to help students in need. By donating today, you will be doing your part to help the women of Alpha Xi Delta, but also future students who are also impacted by a tragedy.

I hope you will consider making a donation today.

Thank you for your support of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority and Marietta College.

Sincerely,

Bill Ruud
President and Professor of Management