Snowflakes fell on the parking lot as IU Police Department’s chief, Laury Flint, and Phi Kappa Sigma’s philanthropy commitee scurried around preparing for their philanthropy event by cutting pies, running out to buy more drinks and trying to find an outlet for the speaker.
The fundraiser was created to honor Keith Cash, a former IUPD officer and chief who died in 2013. Grant Kaufman, an IU senior and the fraternity’s philanthropy chair, said he got the inspiration for the event from alumni who knew Cash.
“Originally our alumni came down for homecoming, and they talked about how, in the past, they used to hang out with an officer named Keith Cash,” Kaufman said.
Kaufman said he felt a little disheartened the relationship with the police department has dwindled, so he decided to reach out to IUPD and reestablish the relationship. Kaufman contacted Sgt. Brian Oliger, who is in charge of programs and schedules at IUPD, and explained his fraternity’s relation to Cash and its desire to honor him.
“We have never had anything like that happen at our department,” Oliger said.
He said he was very excited about the idea to work with Phi Kappa Sigma. He collaborated with Kaufman to find an appropriate time and way to raise money. They agreed on selling tickets to the event, but Kaufman said he wasn’t initially sure where the profits would go.
Kaufman said his fraternity knew it wanted to honor Cash but didn’t know the best way to do so.
“I thought I wanted the cause to go somewhere a little more close to home,” Kaufman said. “So we are going to create a scholarship or memorial fund in memory of Keith Cash.”
Oliger said the fraternity did most of the organizing and got other greek organizations to be part of the event. As a former IU student and IUPD cadet, Oliger said he was really honored to know the young men cared.
Not everyone there knew Cash. The recent graduates and fraternity members, like Zach Jones, were too young. Jones is the alumni association president and said although Cash was before his time he knew of his relationship with the fraternity.
Trent Van Emon, an IU alumnus and member of Phi Kappa Sigma, knew Cash from his time working with the University, IUPD and with his fraternity. He said he and some of his fraternity brothers had a good relationship with Cash and cadets from time at IU and working out in the gym.
“He kept a really good relationship between the houses and the police department,” Van Emon said. “He was just a really great guy all around that worked with us, so it was hard to hear that he was gone and passed away. It’s good to come down here and see an event like this for him.”
The fraternity’s president and IU sophomore, Jake Olson, said he hoped to turn this gathering into an annual philanthropy event.
He said he sees hope for an annual event because their goal was $2,000 and they exceeded it by more than $500.
“Something someone told me one time was that there are two very important things in life: the last time that your name is said by yourself and the last time that your name is ever said by someone else,” he said. “We want to make sure that Keith Cash is remembered for a very long time for all the great things he did for the community.”
