How our chapter at Penn State turned to virtual fundraising for THON™ – For The Kids

Written by: Ben Borus ‘22 and Joseph Mondy ‘21

Each February, the Pennsylvania Beta Gamma Chapter at Penn State University celebrates THON weekend inside the Bryce Jordan Center located on campus. THON, the largest student-run philanthropy event in the world, is a year-long fundraising campaign aimed at raising funds for the fight against pediatric cancer. However, this year, COVID-19 turned the THON community and the Beta Gamma chapter’s plans upside down.

2020 THON event at Penn State

When our chapter members experienced the COVID-19 lockdown in March, many in the brotherhood were unsure how long the restrictions would last as the virus was still being researched. As the pandemic edged into summer, the THON community received news that would completely change the event–the 2021 event would be an all-virtual experience. At first, feelings of complete disappointment filled our brotherhood; the school year's best weekend was not going to hold up to the celebrations of years prior. Despite this news, however, the PA Beta Gamma Chapter was determined to make the most of a fundraising window. With the momentum gained from raising $40,000 this past year for 2020’s THON, our brothers got to work.

In previous years, canvassing throughout some of our brothers' hometowns and neighborhoods was the go-to way to fundraise. With social distancing in place, we had to redesign our efforts around DonorDrive, an online donation platform. This website allows THON volunteers to create a personal fundraising goal within their organization without relying on physical donations. While DonorDrive had been around before the pandemic, we have never relied on it as much as we do now.

We also realized that we needed to think outside the box to make our fundraising goal a reality. This fall, brothers started sending “THONvelopes,” letters sent to family and friends that explain our mission and allow another revenue stream for fundraising.

Brothers of the PA Beta Gamma chapter

Motivating the brotherhood to contribute to THON in any way they can has been a crucial task for our THON chairs this year. With virtual engagement being of the utmost importance, small brotherhood events like video game tournaments become the new normal. And with incentives for brothers, “fundraisers of the month” have left the chapter feeling as though we’re picking up right where we left off from THON 2020. The chapter has raised $7,766.78 to date and is excited to provide new fundraising opportunities that partner with both local and global businesses.

This pandemic may have changed many aspects of our daily lives, but the fight to end pediatric cancer remains intact. Pennsylvania Beta Gamma has an amazing team of dedicated brothers to serve as chairs for this event: Joseph Mondy ‘21, Kamron Sarmadi ’21, Thayne George ‘21, Jack Bush ‘22, Max Watson ‘22, and Dylan McEvoy ‘21. We ask brothers from all chapters of Phi Kappa Theta to join us in this fight so that someday, no child or family will ever have to hear the word “cancer” again. To learn more about our THON efforts or contribute to our cause, please visit the link listed below or send our Primary THON Chair, Joseph Mondy, an email.

"Give, expecting nothing thereof..."

DonorDrive: https://donate.thon.org/?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=2169

Louisiana Omicron Brothers assist in hurricane relief efforts

Written by: Alex East (Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette, ‘21)

Earlier this fall, three brothers from the Louisiana Omicron chapter donated furniture to a charity in New Orleans to aid in hurricane relief. All soon-to-be graduates of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Davis Mena, Andrew DaBella, and Alex East devoted a whole day to drive from Lafayette, LA, in a rented moving truck filled with unused furniture to donate to S.O.F.A., a charity in New Orleans, LA.

The donation included two couches, tables, four wooden chairs, two fabric chairs, a dresser, and a king-sized bed, all in the single trailer. It was a lot of hard work to fit all the items in the truck but surely well worth the noble cause.

S.O.F.A stands for Service, Outreach, Furniture, Acadiana. S.O.F.A is a non-profit organization the Louisiana Omicron chapter works with year around to provide furniture to families who have been affected by fires, floods, tornados, and hurricanes. Recently, Lake Charles was severely hit by Hurricane Laura, and many families' homes were destroyed. This effort was our way of stepping up and doing something to help the victims of Hurricane Laura.

The three-hour drive wasn’t just about the furniture. Three brothers who’ve come from entirely different walks of life took this time to grow together by helping families in need. They humbled themselves and took part in something bigger than themselves. While having a great time together, these brothers lived the meaning of “Give; expecting nothing thereof...".

How our chapter at Trine found new ways to operate amid the COVID-19 crisis

Written by: Indiana Alpha Gamma Chapter at Trine University

Former United States President, Brother John F. Kennedy once said that "only in winter can you tell which trees are truly green and only when the winds of adversity blow can you tell whether an individual or a country has steadfastness." When faced with the many challenges presented with COVID-19, we, the Brothers at the Indiana Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, held the sentiment behind this quote near and dear to our hearts. Persevering in unprecedented times, as Brother Kennedy noted, was integral in determining how true we are to our Fraternal values and how successful we will be moving forward.

Chapter performance coach Seth Ware speaks to Indiana Alpha Gamma collegiate members

As COVID-19 cases continued to grow, college campuses had to decide if they should remain open or close operations for the rest of the semester.  While we awaited Trine's campus status, our Chapter leadership proactively convened to determine how to prepare for the last half of the spring semester. The two main issues addressed were how each leadership position would conduct their duties like normal and how the Chapter could conduct meetings with all members. With nearly all of our Brothers residing in the house, most of them decided to stay and continue to fulfill their fraternal, intellectual, social, spiritual, and leadership duties. Our Chapter decided to conduct meetings in the basement where social distancing practices could take place. We also utilized Zoom's free conference platform to ensure other Brothers could partake virtually. The continued meetings and virtual calls afforded our Chapter leaders to complete tasks and report results. While the University had transitioned from in-person lectures to online classes, our Brothers' spirit and liveliness remained the same. All of our Brothers were there to support each other in our own personal, fraternal, and even scholastic development as we all shared a common goal–to maintain our Brotherhood. Our efforts transpired well into the end of the semester when elections came around.  We held elections virtually while protecting the privacy of each candidate's speeches, the confidentiality of voting, and the secrecy of our Fraternity rituals.

As we moved into the 2020-2021 academic year with a plan to keep our Brothers and our community safe and healthy, we continued to fulfill our chapter duties "as usual" as we were determined to continue to succeed in all of our endeavors. As leaders and as Brothers, it is our duty to stay true to this goal. Our Brotherhood asked, "Where are we going?". It was imperative and ironic to contribute to and have a successful Quo Vadis (QV) given the unexpected pandemic. In years past, the chapter Vice President has set up QV to be a weekend retreat somewhere away from the house, although this year, we decided it would be smart to hold QV at the house while also following our COVID-19 protocols. With the help of our advisor Dr. Sean Carrol, our performance coach, Seth Ware, and our Vice President JJ Whicker, as well as the rest of our Brotherhood, we selected three "SMART" goals of Recruitment, Alumni Relations, and Developing Leaders. Each of these goals had their respective metrics to determine success. When discussing potential plans, we considered them in the best-case and worst-case scenario to ensure we remained flexible to achieve our goals. We knew that communicating our tasks was necessary to reach our goals, so we remained open to the idea of meeting virtually.

Chapters members on a virtual call with various alumni

Operating a chapter, let alone a successful one, is no easy feat, especially in these unprecedented times. We upheld leadership decisions and precedents set in the spring and even considered some new operating norms. Once we were back on campus, our leaders continued to meet through Zoom instead of in the house. For large group gatherings, such as our Chapter meetings, we now utilize a large lecture hall on campus for a safer environment. Additionally, if a Brother or new member cannot attend or wishes not to participate in person, we have followed the precedent set by our University by offering a Zoom conference as an alternative method of attendance. Utilizing the Zoom platform has made it more convenient to meet with our alumni, such as Thomas Pompeii, to help mentor our chapter members. We also look forward to utilizing Zoom to meet with our National Fraternity President, Doug Dilling.

Expressing the importance of our ideals is nearly impossible without conducting our pinning and initiation ceremonies. We did not want to take these experiences away from our spring new member class. We held a formal, in-person initiation ceremony for them at the beginning of the semester. Most of the class moved into the house for this year, and we already established house rules for COVID-19, so everyone was masked and socially distanced.

Recruitment event adhering to COVID-19 policies at Trine University

While we had to cancel events, we successfully coordinated new ones that followed safety guidelines. It was important for us to remain conscious of our community's health and safety. We continue to look for ways to innovate and have explored the idea of conducting a virtual silent auction at the end of the semester. 

To secure success now and always, we needed to stay focused on recruiting quality men into our Brotherhood, as indicated by one of our QV goals. With a fall semester starting two weeks earlier than usual, the combination of beautiful weather and a sand volleyball court attached to the side of our house–we figured we were all set to have a successful recruiting semester–and we were right! We had returning brothers, new members, and potential new members playing volleyball every day after classes for the first month and a half. The outdoor, spacious courts fostered an environment perfect for strengthening our Brotherhood. We introduced ourselves to potential new members and found a way to relax during these stressful times while abiding by COVID-19 guidelines. With the success of our informal and formal events for recruitment, we decided to hold a larger event that would still be safe and manageable. We planned a cookout alongside our volleyball games. All aspects of the Brotherhood were present as stories, laughs, and food had been provided around volleyball. Shortly before the midpoint in the semester, our Dean of Students notified us that off-campus events would no longer be permitted. In addition to other policies affecting in-person gatherings, we planned on-campus events and virtual events while abiding under COVID-19 guidelines.

Despite recent challenges and obstacles yet to come, we remain steadfast in our values and duties to our community, each other, and God. Our faculty advisor Dr. Sean Carroll once reminded us that we are "gentlemen and scholars" and that "gentlemen never willingly cause suffering and scholars are always willing to learn." More than ever, these times allow our Chapter to show the world that we truly are Phi Kappa Theta gentlemen and scholars.

National President, Doug Dilling to Speak Friday 10/23

The L.E.A.D. SERIES is an event hosted by Evolution of Leadership, where leaders and entrepreneurs from a diverse range of industries are invited on the Evolution of Leadership Platform as guest speakers to empower enthusiasts of leadership and entrepreneurship by sharing their personal leadership journey.⁠ ⁠

Our National President, Doug Dilling, is a featured speaker at this event!

To show our support, the first 10 brothers to use the code: PKT100 will be registered for FREE. ⁠

Click here to register.