Fraternities getting ready for fund-raisers

Even with the pressure that accompanies the end of the semester and the holiday season, greek organizations on campus are serving the community.\nThe next couple weeks offer various fund-raising and community-benefiting endeavors in which all students are encouraged to participate.\nPSI CHI\nThe distribution of free pizza, cookies and candy in return for a donation is Psi Chi honor society's fund-raising strategy.\nMembers of the organization will be situated in the main lobby of the Psychology Building 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 6 and 8 to collect donations for the Amethyst House, a local not-for-profit agency that provides support through housing for individuals recovering from alcohol and drug addictions, according to a press release.\n"They actually have houses set up around the city where people can go for rehab," said Psi Chi treasurer senior Samantha Brandfon. "It's really important."\nBrandfon said students don't have to give money to enjoy the free treats, but that they should educate themselves.\n"As long as they take a look at what we're doing then they've learned something and that's really important," she said.\nIn addition, Brandfon said sign-up sheet for students interested in volunteering will be available.\nAll the money donated is going directly to the Amethyst House. Brandfon said the funds for the food came from the organization's budget.\nALPHA PHI OMEGA\nOn Saturday the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega will hold its second annual Bowl-A-Thon to benefit WonderLab, a museum of health, science and technology primarily targeted to children.\nA $5 charge will cover shoe rental and bowling from 1 to 6 p.m. at Classic Bowling Lanes, 1421 N. Willis Drive. It will partially benefit WonderLab's Connecting to the Community Fund, which provides free group admission to the museum for nonprofit agencies that primarily serve low-income children and their families, said APO service representative junior Ben Clark.\n"Raising money is important because it will allow children who otherwise couldn't afford to go there to go and experience an integral part of the community," he said.\nStudents can purchase tickets at Collins Living and Learning Center and Foster Quad this week or at the bowling alley Saturday if they aren't sold out. \nClark said last year the organization raised about $650 for the same cause, but about $2,000 is expected this Saturday, which he attributes to increased advertising.\nClark said he'd like to see about 200 students come out and support the Connecting to the Community Fund, but that regardless of turnout, it will be an enjoyable day.\n"It's going to be fun no matter how many people show up," he said.\nKAPPA DELTA RHO\nMen's fraternity chapter Kappa Delta Rho will play Santa Claus this Saturday, collecting unwrapped toys for low-income children in the community at Wal-Mart, 3201 West State Highway 45.\nRepresentatives from the chapter will set up a booth outside the store from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and take in monetary and gift donations for Toys for Tots, a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Program that collects toys during the holiday season.\nKDR vice president senior Matt Keithley said this is a simple opportunity for students to show compassion.\n"When people are shopping for their family, they can spare a few bucks and get a toy for a kid who otherwise won't get one," he said.\nKeithley said his chapter recognizes how important receiving presents during the holidays is to children.\nThe gifts and money donated are taken to the local Salvation Army and distributed to families in the community from there.\nWhile Keithley said the effort has been mildly successful in the past, he'd like to see more than one carload of gifts.\n"We'd like to be able to make a couple trips to Salvation Army this year," he said.