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Mankato, MN
The Robbie Page Memorial Fund became our first national philanthropy in 1954. Knowing that children’s health is a priority to our members Sigma Serves Children expanded its reach. The Foundation is proud to honor Robbie’s wish of serving children.
Five-year-old Robbie Page, son of the fourth Tri Sigma National President Mary Hastings Holloway Page, Alpha and Omega chapters, often mentioned his wish to help children. He once said, “I want to have all my birthdays right now so I can grow up and help people”.
In 1951, at age five, Robbie died of bulbar polio, a devastating disease with no cure at the time. To honor Robbie Tri Sigma members established the Robbie Page Memorial Fund (RPM) to fund polio research projects, including the Salk vaccine trials, and in 1954 the Robbie Page Memorial Fund became the official philanthropy of Tri Sigma.
When a cure was found for polio, the RPM Fund continued moving forward to fund a cutting-edge therapy called “therapeutic play.” This treatment evolved to become one of the most important types of children’s therapy to help children cope with the treatments and outcomes of their illnesses.
The Foundation helps hundreds of children annually through the RPM Fund, which supports local and national RPM grants, including training fellowships at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and NC Children’s Hospital-UNC Chapel Hill.
