The Center for Leadership, Activities and Career Services, in collaboration with its
Greek Life Center, are looking with hope and interest to the goodwill efforts to come
in 2018-19 from Ferris State University’s fraternities and sororities.
A recent review of volunteering and philanthropic efforts in the previous academic year showed that Greek students raised nearly $31,000 and donated to foundations and organizations, and logged 3,672 hours of community service, regionally. Camryn Booms, a staff assistant for the Greek Life program manager, noted the significant financial contributions of several campus chapters.
“The sisters of Zeta Tau Alpha raised $2,610 for their ZTA Foundation, and our Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity held a teeter-totter marathon to collect $811 and benefit the Susan P. Wheatlake Cancer Center,” Booms said. “Lambda Kappa Sigma, the professional Pharmacy fraternity, also brought in $670 in support of Project Hope.”
Booms said there are 63 events registered with the university to offer philanthropic assistance and volunteer time to support causes through annual singular activities or by volunteering on a regular basis with a charitable organization.
“A number of our Greek organizations and other groups have service hour requirements for their membership,” Booms said. “We want it to be part of our routine and makeup. Some examples include monthly or biweekly offers of support to operations like the Habitat for Humanity Retail Store, the Fabulous Finds Resale Shop, which funds Women’s Information Service (WISE) programs and the Our Brother’s Keeper homeless mission in Big Rapids. Some of our organizations alternate their contributions of time, so the nonprofits have a shared, steady stream of volunteer support.”
Other regional programs and organizations supported include the Starkey Hearing Foundation,
the American Cancer Society, Michigan Blood, Special Olympics and The Painted Turtle
Camp.
PHOTO CAPTION: Members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity held a two-day teeter-totter marathon to raise funds for the Susan P. Wheatlake Cancer Center in Reed City. Greek organizations on the Ferris campus collected nearly $31,000 for charitable causes and provided 3,672 hours of community service in the 2017-18 academic year.