Greek System Raises Over $20,000 for Charities

Lafayette's sororities and fraternities devote a significant amount of time every year to collectively raising over $20,000 for philanthropic causes and volunteering in the community.

“I think Greeks are often stereotyped as being partiers, but what everyone doesn't realize is that one of our main objectives is working for philanthropies and serving the community,” says anthropology and sociology major Sylvia Anserian '04 (River Edge, N.J.), philanthropy chair for Delta Gamma sorority. “Every sister is expected to individually contribute as well as help organize and attend our main events every semester.”

In the case of Delta Gamma, these events include its annual Anchor Splash, which was held Nov. 18 in Ruef Natatorium. Eight teams of students competed in a variety of water activities during the event, which raised over $1,000 in donations from local businesses to Service for Sight, Gamma's national philanthropy, which conducts research on blindness in children. DG sisters also spent the semester tutoring Easton children after school through the Kids in the Community program organized by Lafayette's Landis Community Outreach Center.

This semester, along with participating in an Adopt-a-Grandparent program, Delta Gamma co-sponsored the Dating Auction with Pi Beta Phi March 14 in Farinon Center. The two sororities raised $812 through bids on 10 students who volunteered to be auctioned off for dates with the highest bidders. Proceeds went to Nino's, a restaurant opened specifically to feed the volunteers and workers helping with the World Trade Center relief efforts.

Last semester, Pi Beta Phi sisters sold carnation corsages to students for their mothers to wear on Family Weekend. The money was given to Pi Phi's national philanthropy, Arrowmont, a school of arts and crafts that brings education, economic development, and health care to rural Gatlinburg, Tenn. In addition, the sorority participated weekly in Girls Talk, a program in which they interacted with young Easton area girls at the Girls and Boys Club while doing arts and crafts after school. Pi Phi also helped with Alpha Gamma Delta's Trick-or-Treat on the Hill, which brought children to College Hill to collect candy on Halloween.

Pi Phi co-sponsored the 23rd annual Dance Marathon April 12-13, the Greeks' largest philanthropic event, with Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. Ninety brothers and sisters danced for 24 hours to raise money for the Spring Garden Children's Center, the 9/11 Children's Fund, and the Children's Home of Easton. Through donations from local businesses and other companies, Pi Phi and KDR raised over $9,000.

“We are very satisfied with the student turnout, willingness of businesses to help us out, and the overall amount of money we raised,” says economics and business major Liz Matthews '02 (Windsor, Conn.), who co-chaired the event. “Every year, Dance Marathon gets bigger and better.”

In addition, Pi Phi co-sponsored a Bowl-a-thon with Phi Gamma Delta fraternity this month to raise money for cancer research.

Alpha Gamma Delta's philanthropy chair, government and law major Erika Marshall '03 (Bonita, Calif.), organized Trick-or-Treat on the Hill in October and Spring Eggstravaganza with Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, held March 16 in Farinon Center's Marlo Room. Activity stations and an egg hunt were set up for Easton area children. Through parent donations, AGD and Phi Psi raised approximately $200 for the national AGD Foundation, which benefits juvenile diabetes research. At the end of March, AGD sold Peppermint Patties to students wishing to send candy grams to their friends through campus mail. That effort raised $130, which also went to the AGD Foundation. AGD co-sponsored the Rick Thorpe '89 Memorial Tennis Tournament April 20 with Chi Phi fraternity, raising over $7,000 through business and alumni donations for the trust fund established on behalf of the Sept. 11 victim's daughter. (Senior English major Tara Haas of Maplewood, N.J., a member of Alpha Phi sorority, won the women's singles title.)

Delta Delta Delta sorority hosted a pancake breakfast last semester with Phi Psi, Delta Upsilon fraternity, and AGD to benefit victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In addition, the sorority participated in a breast cancer walk in Allentown and sold candy at the Phillipsburgh Mall to benefit its national philanthropy, St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Next fall, the sisters plan on reinstating their Jail and Bail event, in which students are “arrested” and their friends pay bail money to get them out of jail. Proceeds for this event also go to St. Jude's.

Last semester, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority organized Relay for Life, a 12-hour walk on the Fisher Field track to benefit breast cancer research. It also participated in National Denim Day, when the sisters wore all denim and pins and ribbons to promote breast cancer awareness.

Already this semester, Kappa sisters have raised $140 for the Rose McGill Foundation, their national sorority, which helps out sisters in need through candy grams, called “Kappa kisses.” They visited the elderly in the Easton Home on Easter, giving them decorated boxes filled with chocolate, and held a clothing drive during the first week of April for Third Street Alliance, an Easton shelter for women and their children They also plan on organizing a Bowl-a-thon to raise money for Rose McGill.

Psychology major Lauren Freese '04 (Lexington, Mass.) of Alpha Phi sorority organized a fall semester powder puff football tournament that raised $400 for a Sept. 11 fund. This semester, the sisters are visiting St. Anthony's Youth Center of Easton every Tuesday to tutor and Wednesday to play games and do arts and crafts. On April 19, Alpha Phi and Phi Gamma Delta hosted a raffle in Farinon Center to benefit the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Association. Alpha Phi also participated in an MS walk with Phi Psi at Hugh Moore Park in Easton.

Along with contributing to the Spring Eggstravaganza and MS walk, Phi Psi transformed its house into a “haunted house” for Easton children on Halloween. Brothers also put up flyers and banners around campus on April 15 to make students aware of United Against Hate Week.

In October, Chi Phi fraternity raised more than $7,000 for the American Cancer Society through the Daniel Boone Memorial 5K race. Each semester, the fraternity does a highway cleanup on a stretch of Route 611 near College Hill. In addition, alternating groups of five to six brothers engage boys from St. Anthony's in recreation every other Wednesday.

“We see them playing basketball against themselves when we come, and they're fun to watch,” says government and law major Ryan Shaffer '03, president of Chi Phi. “But when they play us, they take it more seriously, because it means more to beat people who are 20 than kids who are 14.”

Economics and business major Michael Levey '02 (Pine Brook, N.J.), captain of the men's varsity tennis team, took a lead role as organizer of the Rick Thorpe '89 Memorial Tennis Tournament for Chi Phi, gaining involvement of several skilled players from local tennis clubs. More than 50 competitors participated.

“I was more than happy to organize this event because I love tennis and I know it is going to such a good cause,” says Levey. “We hope the tennis tournament will be the start of an annual event that will be held to raise money for similar worthy causes in the future.”

The last week of April, Delta Upsilon fraternity will host a rugby clinic and barbecue for the Easton Boys and Girls Club. The brothers will hold their second annual hot air balloon launch May 9, also to benefit the Boys and Girls Club. Two balloon flights will be raffled off to students and Easton residents. A barbecue will precede the drawing and the launch.

In the fall, the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta participated in the sixth annual Fiji Rivalry Run for Cancer. The run began at the Lafayette chapter house and ended at the Lehigh University house. All proceeds went to the American Cancer Society. They also hosted two pancake breakfasts to help fund Alternative Spring Break, organized a field day and barbecue for St. Anthony's Boys and Girls Club of Easton, and will bowl with Pi Phi at the end of April to raise money for cancer research.

Thirty brothers from Delta Kappa Epsilon will participate in a 5K run on May 3 in Washington, D.C. to benefit brain cancer research. Next fall they plan to implement a program to distribute audio books to hospital patients in Easton with sight problems.

Zete Psi fraternity brothers volunteer weekly at the Third Street Alliance and the kitchen at the Safe Harbor homeless shelter in Easton. They contributed $125 at an event held at College Hill Tavern for Make-A-Wish Foundation and held a car wash fundraiser to support the Easton police department. They plan on holding another car wash to benefit Adopt-a-Highway.

Theta Chi fraternity brothers are highly involved with the Marquis Players, a non-profit organization that produces student theatrical performances for various charities. In addition, they hosted a car wash that raised $500 for Red Cross and were involved in a canal clean up on the Delaware River. Currently, they are working to build a house in Easton with Habitat for Humanity and pay weekly visits to the Spring Garden Children's Center.

“Because it is tough to organize large events, we try to spread ourselves around the community,” says Theta Chi philanthropy chair Brian Quigley '03, an English major from Avon, Conn. “We take volunteer work very seriously because it's not only a way for us to get closer as brothers, but to make Lafayette closer to the community.”