By Gabriella Wuller
The Greek community on Drury University’s campus takes great pride in the impacts it makes with their philanthropy and community service events and fundraising. Individual chapters each host events for a multitude of different philanthropic causes across the nation. In addition to the Panhellenic and Drury Fraternal Council, otherwise known as DFC, each chapter holds events for an abundance of opportunities to positively impact others in a multitude of ways.
Panhellenic encompasses the four sororities; Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi, and Zeta Tau Alpha. DFC comprises the four fraternities; Kappa Alpha, Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Nu, and Sigma Pi. These eight chapters each have an important factor to play surrounding the world of community service
Delta Delta Delta’s (Tri Delta), Director of Philanthropy is dual degree nursing major, Molly Perkins. Perkins’ position is responsible for organizing and implementing all of Tri Delta’s philanthropy events. Each of their events circles around St. Jude Research Hospital, which is a research facility that is predominantly focused on leukemia and other cancers and diseases in children. Tri Delta has a various number of annual events for St. Jude which are; trivia nights, Delta House of Pancakes (DHOP) which is an all you can eat pancake event, and the St. Jude Walk/Run. There are also a collection of events from dine outs to St. Jude Week Events that Tri Delta will incorporate into the academic year. On April 3rd of 2022 was the annual DHOP event, which raised over $1,000. Perkins also described her favorite philanthropic experience as being, “listening to Sarah Collins, who is an honorary sister to Drury’s chapter of Tri Delta, speak about her personal experience with St. Jude and the impact that Tri Delta had on her and her family’s experience with St. Jude.” Tri Delta not only impacts the local community of Springfield, but on a national level as well for an important cause.
Kappa Alpha (KA) Fraternity hosted a philanthropy event in February of 2021 where their chapter partnered with CBC, the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks. This organization supplies various blood types to over 40 hospitals in the Ozark area. With the impacts of COVID-19, it was an opportune and imperative time for Kappa Alpha to host such an event. In the past, KA has also partnered with another organization to benefit and raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. One member of KA, has also taken further action to be involved in Greek Philanthropy life.
This member is President of the Drury Fraternal Council, Connor Lazell. Lazell, who is an Architecture major with a Business Administration minor, partnered with Panhellenic President, Chemistry major and psychology minor, Chloe Ray. Together Ray and Lazell hosted ‘Greek Service Week’, one week that consisted of six various events to give back to the community for all chapters to participate and contribute to. Ray and Lazell described what the Greek community was able to accomplish throughout one week, “We were able to spend time cleaning at the Rare Breed Youth Shelter. We fed over 100 homeless and at-risk individuals. We created and distributed goodie bags for the homeless. We collected items for the victim center. Finally, we donated money to the Hope Foundation after hosting a cookout!”
Kappa Delta (KD) has a total of three philanthropies, two of these are national and are Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) and The Girl Scouts of America. Their third philanthropy is located in Springfield and is Isabel’s House. Isabel’s House is a crisis nursery where families are provided support and resources when in times of need. Kappa Delta has a position titled Events and Programming, which is currently being held by nursing major Bailee Hanson. For The Girl Scouts of America, KD either has events with the Girl Scouts on Drury’s campus, or make crafts/keepsakes to then send to the Girl Scouts. Then for PCAA and Isabel’s House, Kappa Delta hosts a week-long series of various events to fundraise and bring awareness to these two philanthropies, called Shamrock Week. Hanson, when asked about her favorite experience, responded, “It is extremely hard for me to narrow down a singular favorite experience because truly I love them all, but if I really had to choose one it would be Mac and Cheese with the KD’s this past March. […] I spent a lot of time planning then executing Shamrock Week and during Mac and Cheese I was able to take a step back to look at how much our members and the Drury community enjoyed the events that are all dedicated to two amazing philanthropies.” In total, KD raised $1,224 in March of 2022 for both PCAA and Isabel’s House.
In Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, Production & Graphic and Digital Design major, Byron King is currently serving as the Theta philanthropy chair for LCA. King has worked to aid and better the community through service with his chapter. LCA works to raise goods and monetary donations for Feeding America, specifically Ozarks Food Harvest. This food bank serves Southwest Missouri assisting over 200 pantries and programs. With every $1 donation the Ozark Food Harvest is able to provide four meals to the less fortunate. Recently LCA has made a generous contribution to the Food Harvest, as King describes, “We’ve recently donated 26 pounds of dry goods and around $150 to Ozarks Food Harvest. With that donation, we are providing over 600 meals in the Ozark area.” To collect goods and raise funds for their philanthropy LCA has hosted two notable events throughout the academic year. One being the notorious annual Watermelon Fest, which is a day of activities somehow including Watermelon to raise money for the Food Harvest. The second event is one in which King has created and implemented for the first time in April of 2022, which was a Salsa making competition. Teams and individuals were given the chance to compete to create the best salsa for those who attended to try and judge, and again all donations were provided to the Ozark Food Harvest. In a final quote, King states, “I would encourage people to donate to philanthropic events! Even if it’s a dollar, every bit adds up and can make a dream come true.”
Pi Beta Phi, has one main philanthropic effort which is Read > Lead > Achieve. Graphic Design & Strategic Communications Double Major and President Emily Oliver provided some insight on what this philanthropy encompasses, “[it] inspires a lifelong love of reading that can unlock true potential for creating a more literate and productive society. Our local efforts include Champions are Readers, First Book, and Fremont Elementary.” Pi Beta Phi has a number of events scattered throughout the academic year including; Pie a Pi Phi, Puttin’ on the Lips, a Literacy Carnival, a Valentine’s Love for Literacy event, and Pen Pals and Book Club. Most of these events raise monetary funds to be donated in support of Read > Lead > Achieve. Pi Beta Pi made a record-setting impact this year, raising over $4,300 in total from each of their events to help with children’s literacy. One of Pi Beta Phi’s largest events is ‘Puttin’ on the Lips’ as stated above. This event, otherwise known as POL is a campus-wide lip-syncing contest held in honor of a late sister who passed from a drunk driving accident. Oliver describes other impacts that her chapter has partaken in, “We’ve made over 50 goodies bags filled with stickers, snacks, pencils, and erasers and were generously donated 170 books by Ozarks Literacy Council to be handed out during our Fraternity Day of Service Carnival. While we love raising money and awareness for our philanthropy, seeing the impact we can have on students right here in our hometown is equally as special.”
Sigma Nu’s President and Accounting and Finance major, Eli Fearn shared the chapter’s experience with philanthropic events. Sigma Nu’s largest and annual event is one called ‘Lost in the Sauce’ where volunteers eat wings that vary in their level of heat to raise money for St. Jude Hospital. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is Sigma Nu’s national philanthropy, however their local organization works with a variety of groups and individuals in the local area, as well as other Sigma Nu chapters across the nation. According to Fearn, Sigma Nu has members who are from the Springfield community, so they are all passionate to see the community they care for deeply to improve and to have the opportunity to give back to those in the community. Fearn also described his favorite philanthropic event as the first ‘Lost in the Sauce’ event “No one knew how spicy the wings would be, how much money we would make, or if the event would be successful at all. At the end of the day, we had eaten over 200 wings, with the spiciest being 6+ million Scoville (roughly 3x hotter than a ghost pepper), had involvement from both current actives and alumni, and surpassed our goal for money raised”.
Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) Sorority works effectively with their national philanthropy which is Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. ZTA’s Director of Philanthropy is sophomore, exercise physiology major, Emma Allison. Allison’s position is responsible for organizing and executing all philanthropy events throughout the academic year. And in the academic year of 2021-2022, ZTA hosted three events. These events are Queso for Cure, Big Man on Campus and Dynamic Duo’s. Queso for Cure is a queso making contest for teams and individuals to either attend or compete in to find the best homemade queso. Big Man on Campus, otherwise known as BMOC, is a male beauty pageant for men on campus to compete for the title. The six competitors this year had to dance to a routine, answer interview questions and then showcase an individual talent. All money from BMOC and Queso for a Cure went to breast cancer education, awareness and support. ZTA’s most recent event of Dynamic Duo’s was a competition for pairs to enter and compete in to see who the most dynamic duo was. All proceeds for this event went to the Caroline Scholarship, which was created in honor of a ZTA sister, Caroline Conrad, who passed away in 2019. Each of these events creates a positive impact for those in ZTA and in the community. Allison has a personal connection to their philanthropic efforts stating, “have seen my grandmother go through breast cancer and her treatment for it. I have seen the strength and resilience she has shown, and it’s inspired me. Nobody should have to go through the things she has gone through.”
The final Greek chapter is Sigma Pi who works with a local philanthropy and organization, Harmony House. This organization provides support and advocates for those who are in a situation of domestic abuse. Recently Sigma Pi hosted an event in April of 2022 which was a hot dog eating contest. In addition to the contest there was also a silent auction, and the availability to purchase hot dogs, but not compete in the competition. All proceeds from this event went to supporting Harmony House. The organizer of this event was Joseph Dale, who is the Sigma Pi New Member Educator. Other events beyond this one include ‘Sip N Savor’ where local food trucks would come out to Drury University to hand out food, relay races, and much more. Dale describes his experiences with Sigma Pi’s philanthropic efforts, “Working with my brothers for Harmony House is always a blast, but I think the best part about it is the fact that it never feels like we’re actually working. We’re just a group of people all doing the same thing, like eating hotdogs or running around the track, and that then benefits people.”
In all, the four sororities, four fraternities, Panhellenic and Drury Fraternal Council are all making sweeping impacts on a number of causes and organizations, both at the national and local level. No contribution is too small, and no experience has been undervalued. Those within the Greek community throughout recognize the crucial differences they bring to their philanthropies and to others’ with support. Each chapter acknowledges the importance of their actions and continues to exemplify and showcase the significance philanthropies and community service has on Greek life.
Volunteers serving food to the homeless in downtown Springfield on Tuesday, April 11th, 2022.
Volunteers making goodie bags to be given to the homeless on Wednesday April 12th, 2022. In the FSC Ballroom.
First Greek Service Week event: Volunteering at Rare Breed. Pictured from left to right. Connor Lazell, Abby Roberston, Chloe Ray, Mattie James, and Jared Henry.
Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) Trivia Night, all proceeds went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Panhellenic Council attending a dine out at No Bake Cookie Dough which took place during Kappa Delta’s Shamrock Week. All proceeds from this event went to Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) and Isabel’s House.
Pi Beta Phi hosts Pie a Pi Phi. All proceeds were donated to Read > Lead > Achieve.
Kappa Alpha Fraternity hosts an event where volunteers participate in wheelchair basketball. All proceeds went to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.