Officially Gabriel
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Delux Magazine had the gracious opportunity to interview Lakeshia Bucker-Smith. Smith is an Event Chairperson of the Wisdom Chapter #25 Order of the Eastern, a registered not-for-profit organization located in Chicago, IL. This chapter is a collection of diverse women striving to make a difference through creative means, charity, and benevolence. With an upcoming community event, Smith gives details and insight on what to expect.

 

Officially Gabriel:

1. I’d like to thank you for giving me this interview Lakeshia. Can you tell me more details about this event, Wisdom’s Amazing Race and what charitable measures you hope to achieve through your efforts?

 

Lakeshia Buckner-Smith:

Of course. Wisdom’s Amazing Race is our creative effort to try to assist our community in dealing with Lupus, Domestic Violence, and Breast Cancer. We hope to keep the focus on these issues which impact mostly women. We want to provide financial relief for families and remind the public that as citizens we are all exposed to and impacted by many societal, health, and interpersonal issues, and we should all find ways to alleviate the pressures associated with these issues.

 

2. This isn’t an actual race, right? So there’s no need to be in major shape to participate, correct? Can you share what participants will be doing on October 1st in order to win the grand prize?

Correct, there’s no need to stress over the physical demands of our event. It’s really low impact in that regard. Our “race” is more of a test of your intellectual agility. Participants will be embarking on the ultimate scavenger hunt across the city. They will be discovering facts related to the three causes. They will also be uncovering little known history about our great city through a series of clues and tasks that will ultimately lead them to the finish line.

 

3. When is the event and are you considering making the race annual?

The event is Sunday, October 1st starting at 7:30 A.M. And no, we believe this will be an event that occurs every two years. That will give us ample time to plan and engage more sponsors, supporters, and survivors.

 

4. How did you select the three causes Lupus, Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Violence to support?

As a chapter, it’s important for us to agree on how we spend our time serving the community. During our meeting and bonding times, some members shared that they were personally impacted now or at some point by Lupus, Breast Cancer or Domestic Violence. It was at that moment, that it became clear that as women we should support our sisters and others who are dealing with these issues.

We developed the theme, One Sisterhood Three Causes as a way for us to maintain our service to women and stay focused on the goal. With that, we began looking for local organizations that didn’t get a large amount of support, to see how we can help. As a result of this search came our partnerships with Between Friends (Domestic Violence), Lupus Society of Illinois, and the Metropolitan Breast Cancer Task Force of Chicago.

 

5. Who are the ladies of Wisdom Chapter #25 Order of the Eastern Star and will we see other community endeavors by you ladies in the future?

Yes, you will continue to see community endeavors from us. It’s the mission of our organization. You will find us serving the community in many ways such as serving at the Ronald McDonald House Charities, working with other sister chapters for school supply drives, or preparing our own art endeavors for healing in the community.

It is our vision to enhance the lives of members and all women by incorporating charity, truth and loving kindness into our daily lives. This enables us to empower and promote self-worth, social grace, integrity and respect– which ultimately reflect our indomitablele spirit as women.

The ladies of Wisdom Chapter #25 are dynamic women who consist of:
Loretta Johnson
Yvonne Glasper Jones
Precious Jones
Latisha Douglas
Anissa Jones
Lakeshia Buckner Smith
Denise Pugh
Danielle Buhuro
Meisha Lyons
Louise Buckner
Jeliner Jordan
Alexis Hudson
Brandy Smith
Crystal Bynum

 

6. Where can we go to sign up to take part or get involved as a volunteer?

Signing up is really easy. Just visit us at www.wisdomsamazingrace.eventbrite.com. You can register your teams there or sign up to volunteer. We are still looking for great people who are willing to volunteer. 

 

7. I see that you have WGCI’s radio personality, Kendra G. on board as the host of the event. How did that partnership come about and who else can we expect to see participating in this amazing event?

We worked with our excellent publicist to secure this partnership. We thought it would be important to have a female personality from Chicago attached to this event. Especially for the end of race celebration where we will be announcing the winners, networking with vendors, and in general showing love and support to survivors and their support systems.

State Representative Camille Y. Lilly of the 78th district has come on board as well. She has been very active in getting the word out to all of her constituents. She feels very passionate about the mission of Wisdom’s Amazing Race and she’s utilizing her platform to help us help as many people as possible.

 

Thanks again Lakeshia for this opportunity.