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This article was written by Melissa Trotman and was published in the Virginia Tech Collegiate Times on Friday just before the first ever Emily C. Specchio Dance-a-Thon. I wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who supported us in the event and helped us surpass our goal by more then we could imagine. Emily would be proud.
-Linds

Emily Carrigg Specchio was a "fun-loving, high-on-life" girl, as described by one of her fraternity brothers.

"She lived every day to the fullest and encouraged everyone else to do the same," said Melissa Richard, senior architecture major and friend of Specchio. "She had a bright outlook on life, and could make you smile on your worst day."

The 22-year-old marketing, foreign language and literature major graduated last May and unexpectedly passed away a few days later of a brain aneurysm. Specchio was a brother of Virginia Tech's Alpha Rho chapter of Phi Sigma Pi, a national co-ed honor fraternity. In honor of Specchio and to keep Specchio's memory alive, her PSP brothers are throwing the first ever Emily C. Specchio Dance-A-Thon this weekend at Gilbert Linkous Elementary School.

"It is our hope that people will come to celebrate the life of such an inspiring human being, and learn more about Emily's spirit of life," Richard said. "This year many of the participants registered are people that directly knew Emily; however, in the future we would like to see the event grow to a both a campus and community wide charity event in her memory."

All of the proceeds will be donated to Teach for America, which is Phi Sigma Pi's philanthropy.
"We're working for $500," said Amy Cheung, senior HTM major and one of the co-chairs for the event said, "but I'm hoping for $1,000. Emily's family is coming from New Jersey, and we're hoping to make the dance-a-thon a yearly event."

Matt Kiggins, a senior hospitality tourism management major and PSP brother, explained the reasoning behind the event.

"Emily had many passions in life, and dancing was one of them, so what better way to celebrate her than a day full of it?" Kiggins said.

Cheung said Specchio was a frequent volunteer at Gilbert Linkous Elementary, which is why the event is being held there this weekend.

The dance-a-thon will take place at the elementary school on Saturday, March 31, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. and those interested are encouraged to come the day of and participate. The cost to join in the fun is $17, which includes a T-shirt.

Individual participants have gathered pledges from the community, donating more money with every minute that they are able to dance.

"For example, I'll dance for 300 minutes, and you pay me 20 cents a minute," Cheung said.
Richard is the other co-chair for the event and was also one of Specchio's spring 2004 pledge brothers. She and Cheung have been planning the dance-a-thon since they were elected to their positions at the end of last semester.

"She had an enormous impact on me and other brothers in PSP," said Rebecca Bullard, a junior English major and PSP member. "I could say so much about her, but words are only that — words. At the end of the day, words are never enough to express the loss of such an amazing person and brother."