Upsilon-Delta Holds TKE Week for St. Jude
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - For the past two weeks, Fraters and Friends of the Upsilon-Delta Chapter have been all over the Saginaw Valley State University campus raising awareness and funds to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 24, members set up tables daily and sold $1 teddy bears and $10 T-shirts with proceeds going to a child at St. Jude. Passersby were also encouraged to donate spare change in a jar at each table.
On Monday, Jan. 31, TKE held a pep assembly to kick off the awareness week with "Back 2 Grade School." Activities at the event encouraged students to get back into that kid spirit from grade school. Snacks and prizes were given away.
During the pep rally, Frater Dan Porta told students why the fraternity decided to hold fundraisers for St. Jude.
The hospital was started by entertainer and
Frater Danny Thomas (Gamma-Nu, Univ. of Toledo). He began his career struggling with a baby on the way. He prayed to
St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, to find a way to pay his hospital bills while at a church. The next day, he was offered a job that would pay 10 times the amount he had given to the church.
Two years later, Thomas had achieved moderate acting success but was still struggling. Once again, he prayed to St. Jude to help find his way in life and promised to build a shrine in return.
His career began flourishing and was reminded by his wife of the pledge to St. Jude. After much hard work securing funding and a site, Frater Danny built St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The hospital provides patient care to families regardless of financial difficulties. The hospital is funded by mostly donations with an operating cost of $1.6 million per day.
Angela Seeley, a former chapter sweetheart of Upsilon-Delta joined the men to promote the effort. She said the cause resonated with other students because of how cancer has touched so many lives.
The TKE held a second event with a “School Dance” on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Seeley led a Zumba routine for participants with a $3 donation. The"Up ‘Til Dawn," annual letter writing party for St. Jude, took place from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, during the "Yearbook Signing" theme. Participants were asked to bring in 50 addresses of friends and family members to write letters to asking them to support St. Jude. All participants who brought in 50 addresses or more were entered in a raffle for prizes.
The final events for the fundraising took place Saturday, Feb. 5, and Sunday, Feb. 6. Members of TKE hosted a "Sick Day" Madden tournament Saturday and offered an Xbox 360 to the winner. A poker tournament in the Wedge Lounge and Unity Room and a Super Bowl Party rounded out the events on Sunday during the "Recess" fundraiser.
Frater LaRon Littlejohn said he was happy to help out St. Jude for the week and praised the work of the hospital.
"The work they do is priceless," he said.
The group raised more than $3,000.
The Offices of the Grand Chapter commend these Fraters and Angela on all of their hard work for such a great cause.
Adapted from The Valley Vanguard online edition. 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.
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