2008 Woodie Awards
Fraternity attempts to rally support for athletics
Tara Pizzola
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Campus
After noticing that attendance at sporting events was down, Miami University's Sigma Pi chapter reinvented its ACE project last year by partnering with the athletics department and creating a philanthropy that allowed Greek sorority members to be jocks for a day.
Though the project has existed since 2002, according to the fraternity's Web site, Miami's Sigma Pi chapter decided to take a new route with it. The chapter created stickers that advertise for certain participating sororities as well as the Redhawks athletics, with proceeds from sticker sales going to the Women's Center.
"The underlying purpose is to help give back to the school," said sophomore Anderson Chang, Sigma Pi's public relations representative.
While, the ACE project is unique to Sigma Pi throughout the country, every chapter has their own project that aims to give back to the chapter's respective school the chapter. However Chang said Sigma Pi national headquarters created the project's name.
"We are trying to kill two birds with one stone by boosting campus involvement with athletics, because that is down," said sophomore Andrew Miller, Sigma Pi's chairperson for the ACE project.
The philanthropy revolves around the sale of $1 stickers created with each participating sorority's name and a slogan reading, "Support the Redhawks."
Sigma Pi advertised the stickers by visiting chapter meetings.
The sorority with the highest amount of stickers will get to throw out the first pitch at a Redhawk baseball game.
With 10 different sororities involved, Delta Gamma, Alpha Xi Delta and Zeta Tau Alpha placed in the top three of most stickers purchased, respectively.
To increase school spirit and involvement, the sorority with the highest percentage of girls in attendance that were wearing their sorority's stickers at the baseball game will win what Jeff Day, sales and special events manager for intercollegiate athletics, describes as "the ultimate game day experience"-a tailgate opportunity for Miami football's season opener August 28 against Vanderbilt.
"It's a great opportunity to get sororities involved in athletics as well as support the Greek community and raise money for the Women's Center," Anna Paraskos, philanthropy chair for Kappa Alpha Theta, said.
Theta finished fifth in sticker sales.
Miller reported that Sigma Pi has raised more than $1,000 from sticker sales, and after incurring expenses from making stickers, the remainder will go to Women's Center, something that the fraternity believes will help indirectly give back to sororities.
"The ultimate goal is to provide scholarship for everyone, not just frat brothers, and boost Miami campus student involvement," Miller said.
Though the project has existed since 2002, according to the fraternity's Web site, Miami's Sigma Pi chapter decided to take a new route with it. The chapter created stickers that advertise for certain participating sororities as well as the Redhawks athletics, with proceeds from sticker sales going to the Women's Center.
"The underlying purpose is to help give back to the school," said sophomore Anderson Chang, Sigma Pi's public relations representative.
While, the ACE project is unique to Sigma Pi throughout the country, every chapter has their own project that aims to give back to the chapter's respective school the chapter. However Chang said Sigma Pi national headquarters created the project's name.
"We are trying to kill two birds with one stone by boosting campus involvement with athletics, because that is down," said sophomore Andrew Miller, Sigma Pi's chairperson for the ACE project.
The philanthropy revolves around the sale of $1 stickers created with each participating sorority's name and a slogan reading, "Support the Redhawks."
Sigma Pi advertised the stickers by visiting chapter meetings.
The sorority with the highest amount of stickers will get to throw out the first pitch at a Redhawk baseball game.
With 10 different sororities involved, Delta Gamma, Alpha Xi Delta and Zeta Tau Alpha placed in the top three of most stickers purchased, respectively.
To increase school spirit and involvement, the sorority with the highest percentage of girls in attendance that were wearing their sorority's stickers at the baseball game will win what Jeff Day, sales and special events manager for intercollegiate athletics, describes as "the ultimate game day experience"-a tailgate opportunity for Miami football's season opener August 28 against Vanderbilt.
"It's a great opportunity to get sororities involved in athletics as well as support the Greek community and raise money for the Women's Center," Anna Paraskos, philanthropy chair for Kappa Alpha Theta, said.
Theta finished fifth in sticker sales.
Miller reported that Sigma Pi has raised more than $1,000 from sticker sales, and after incurring expenses from making stickers, the remainder will go to Women's Center, something that the fraternity believes will help indirectly give back to sororities.
"The ultimate goal is to provide scholarship for everyone, not just frat brothers, and boost Miami campus student involvement," Miller said.
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