East Coast Fraters Build a Better World

May 19, 2010

EAST COAST, USA – The Lambda-Phi Chapter (Bryant University) was named “Fraternity of the Year” for its community service efforts and for earning a cumulative GPA of 3.14. Three of the five positions on the Interfraternity Council, the governing body of Bryant’s five fraternities, are held by Tau Kappa Epsilon members. The chapter began in 1968.

Mo Sakil, Prytanis for Tau-Zeta Chapter (Western Connecticut Univ.), organized a jump-a-thon to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Pictured to the left, Frater Mo with some of the donations from the 36-hour fundraiser as brothers jumped on a trampoline raising money and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease.

For 36 straight hours, from 8 a.m. Wednesday until 8 p.m. the following night, at least one member of the fraternity was jumping on a trampoline to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease research.

“The fraternity chose to raise money for Alzheimer’s in memory of Ronald Reagan because he was a Teke,” said sophomore Frater Jon Pires, who ran the event. “This is a chance for us to raise awareness and honor a passed-on member.”

The yearly event always draws a good sized crowd of students, boosters and alumni members all looking to help support the members and their goal to raise money for charity. The Tau-Zeta Chapter has been raising money this way for 13 years.

Members of Theta-Gamma Colony (Lock Haven Univ.) helped organize and volunteer for the 20^th Annual Earth Day Celebration on campus with the Biology Club. They all shared valuable knowledge about the environment through fun and engaging activities that encouraged the Lock Haven community to get involved.

They were active volunteers at the celebration and helped coordinate and assist children with the “paint a pot and plant a tree” activity. Participants were each given their own pot to paint and design, and then plant a white pine tree in each pot to eventually plant outside with hopes of replacing so many of the hemlock trees that have been destroyed by the woolly adelgid, a fluid-feeding insect that feeds on hemlock trees throughout eastern North America.

“We’re trying to inadvertently help the environment with a natural resistance, and ‘paint a pot and plant a tree’ does exactly that because white pine trees are not a prey species of the wooly adelgid. Everyone has had a lot of fun with this and I think it’s going to hopefully fulfill its purpose and help the environment," said member Mike Petsch.

The Offices of the Grand Chapter applaud the efforts of these Fraters and the countless hours dedicated to building a better world by all members. Be sure to follow the latest TKE News with the RSS Feed, on Twitter or the official TKE Facebook Fan Page (Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity). Submit your news today.