Ceres Alberta
Named for the Roman goddess of agricultural fertility, Ceres (pronounced "Series") is associated with the ground from which crops spring, the bread produced from the grain, and the work necessary to raise crops. She is also representative of the historical involvement and importance of women in agriculture.
Over time, the number of women entering the agriculture industry has increased, and a demand for a women's vision of the agriculture fraternity was evident. At the Conclave of 1984, a proposal for the establishment of an agriculture sorority was unanimously passed. As a result, Ceres International Women's Fraternity, on October 12, 1985, initiated 19 women as the first members of the agriculture-related women's fraternity at Colorado State University. The University of Alberta and California Poly - Ponoma followed suit.
Today, Ceres Alberta has about 20 active members registered in a wide array of faculties including the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics, the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Science, and Campus Saint-Jean. Each member is actively involved around the University of Alberta campus in activities such as the Week of Welcome, Orientation, and intra-fraternity blood drives. Ceres Alberta's fundraising efforts benefit those affected by breast cancer and a portion of monies raised are donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.