Campus sororities and fraternities are coming together to raise money for the American Red Cross and to celebrate all things Greek at the Greek Week festival this week.
“Greek Week is a week-long event where all of the Greek organizations on campus come together to have fun, and to raise money for a unified cause. This week we will be raising money for the Red Cross,” president of the Panhellenic Council Hollye Raines said. “It is a week for all of us to show that Greeks do a lot of hard work for the community.”
Many Greek Week participants say that they enjoy the week because in addition to being fun, it also brings the Greek organizations on campus together to work for a common cause.
“This is one of the few times that the Greek community comes together and everyone has fun. In doing so, we also raise money for charities,” Sigma Chi President Tabor Mullen said.
Greek Week helps to bring the Greek community closer together for a positive cause, said Panhellenic Council Activities Chairman.
Monday night the event officially kicked off at the amphitheater with the Greek god and goddess contests. One member from each chapter was allowed to participate and a winner was chosen based on performance.
“We used to judge the god and goddess by their rsum, but now we are doing something a little more fun by making them perform and then judging them by who has the funniest performance,” Odom said.
The Greek Olympics will be held in front of the Vet School today at 3 p.m. This event will be made up of games like chariot races and three-legged races, and the team who wins will receive a trophy at the end.
In the past the Greek Olympics put every organization competing against each other, but this year the organizers combined two sororities or fraternities to each team.
“We decided this year to combine fraternities and sororities on the teams to promote Greek unity,” Odom said.
Tonight Greek Week will host a party at Rick’s Caf Amricain featuring music from Inner 61. There is a $5 cover, and the money raised will go to the Red Cross.
On Wednesday, Greek members will represent their organization by wearing their letters for Greek Recognition Day. A check will be presented to the Red Cross at noon on the Drill Field from all of the money raised over the week.
Wednesday night at 6:30 Greeks will come together for a worship service at the Bost Extension Center.
Thursday night will conclude the Greek Week Celebration with a “battle of the bands.” Each band had to pay a $20 entrance fee, which will also go to the Red Cross.
“Each band had to have at least one Greek member to participate. We have several bands from both the fraternities and the sororities who have signed up, so we are really excited about it,” Raines said. “Greek Week will end on Thursday night because by then people could get tired of having something to do every night.”
In addition to the money raised from the nightly events of Greek Week, some fundraising will extend to campus.
“On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning we will have tables set up on campus with buckets. Each bucket will have the name of someone from a student organization, usually the president. On Wednesday whoever has the most money in their bucket will have to kiss a pig. All of that money will go to the Red Cross also,” Raines said.
Also, individual sororities and fraternities will begin their Greek Links efforts during this week to raise money for charitable causes.
“Through Greek Links each member is encouraged to write letters or make phone calls to businesses, usually from their hometown, asking them to donate money for the group’s charity,” Raines said.