Fraternities hit the ice for American Cancer Society

Sigma Chi and Beta Theta Pi are raising funds for the American Cancer Society by strapping on skates for the philanthropic hockey event “Dropping the Puck on Cancer.”

The game is at 10 p.m. Feb. 24 at Bloomington’s Frank Southern Ice Arena.

Junior Charlie Herr said he and the two co-presidents of “Dropping the Puck on Cancer” are working on other events to raise money for the ACS, as well, although the events are not finalized.

A hockey game between the IU Frat Stars and the IU hockey club team will begin at 9:15 p.m. Friday.

Tickets will be $7 at the door, Herr said. The organizers behind “Dropping the Puck on Cancer” also plan to sell T-shirts at Kilroy’s Bar & Grill.

The three organizers, Herr and Beta Theta Pi seniors Joshua Vollmer and Logan Davis, came together last year with a vision of setting up an ice rink in Dunn Meadow, but they moved the inaugural game to Frank Southern Ice Arena, Herr said.

They saw potential in the event, which they planned for one month, after they were able to donate $2,600 to IU Dance Marathon and the variety show Big Man on Campus, Herr said.

Herr, who is also Sigma Chi’s team captain, played in last year’s game and will play again this year.

“We won last year 4-2, and everyone was stoked about it,” he said. “Besides bragging rights, we have a trophy mimicked after the Stanley Cup, but in wood.”

Tickets to the Feb 24. game were sold online at droppingthepuck.com for $15 but sold out in 60 hours, given the arena’s maximum capacity of 500, Herr said. However, the organizers are talking with fasthockey.com about broadcasting the game online.

Former Sigma Chi president and junior Andrew Esstman said the competition will tentatively include multiple teams next year.

“Although the event only features two fraternities this year, next year’s event will incorporate more chapters via tournament-style play,” Esstman said. “Next year’s model will foster even more Greek involvement in the event, as well as raise more money for such an important cause.”

Vollmer, co-president of “Dropping the Puck on Cancer” and member of Beta Theta Pi’s team, said sororities are also helping to popularize the event.

“Each house will have the chance to sell jerseys, T-shirts, attend events and raise money for the event,” Vollmer said. “Whichever house raises the most money will receive 30 percent of the money raised, second will get 20 percent and third will get 10 percent for their philanthropies. The other 40 percent will go to the American Cancer Society.”