2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Fraternity lends a hand to elementary school
Lindsay Grieser
Staff writer
- Page 1 of 1
Scattered in between sat volunteers from Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, helping children play games, paint pictures and draw designs.
Clinton held its annual Family Reading Night and Pancake Feed a couple of weeks ago, and as a VIP partner to the school, Delta Tau Delta helped prepare and run booths for the children.
"They always volunteer at all of our family nights," said Angee Frahm, VIP liaison for Clinton and Delta Tau Delta. "They help us set up, volunteer to work the games - and they always stay and help with cleanup."
For the past five or six years, Delta Tau Delta has participated in Clinton's math and science nights, family nights and carnivals through the Adopt-a-School program.
All of the money raised from two of the fraternity's fall philanthropies, Mud Tug and Floats for Clinton, was donated to Clinton.
Mud Tug, its annual tug of war in the mud, raised $560, and Floats for Clinton, a root beer float sale, raised $2,640. These events have brought the contributions to Clinton to $3,200 so far this academic year.
Sophomore fraternity member Pat Hastings said Floats for Clinton will now become an annual event, like Mud Tug, because of the great turnout in the fall.
Last year, the money donated to Clinton was used to buy new books, and this year the money went to purchase four new iMac computers.
Sue Galvin, schoolwide facilitator for Clinton, said the computers aid the school's new electronic reading program, Read 180.
"The program is supposed to help kids to turn their lives around 180 degrees with increased reading skills," Galvin said. "Once the package arrived, we realized we needed new computers."
About 35 students go through rotations on the computers each day, utilizing the Read 180 program. Students also use the computers for word processing and literacy programs, Galvin said.
Delta Tau Delta has also participated in Family Math and Science Night and Family Feast during this school year.
Starting this semester, the freshman pledge class for the fraternity, along with the freshman women from Chi Omega Sorority, have organized a crosswalk watch after school on Fridays, to help the children cross the busy streets by Clinton, 1520 N. 29th St.
A few of the Delta Tau Delta members have also been volunteering on their own time. Hastings, a soil sciences major, is one of them. He comes once or twice a week and works with disabled and underprivileged children.
"It has really showed how much kids really need role models, and they look up to the older kids because of the fact we're in college," Hastings said. "It makes them a lot happier instead of having to see the same teacher every day."
The fraternity's philanthropy chairman, freshman pre-law major Tyler Laflin, has helped to set up some of the events for Clinton, such as the crosswalk project and Floats for Clinton.
"I think personally that there are a lot of guys who not through just these programs come over here and volunteer on their own time, just to get a sense of helping out," Laflin said.
Galvin said the teachers and the students have appreciated the work the fraternity has done.
"The biggest impact is that they are truly making a difference with the students," Galvin said. "And with their participation (at Family Reading Night), that allows parents to be with their own students and their children.
"Therefore, we don't have to tie up all the parents on our staff to operate the family event, which is truly what the full purpose of the family event is - families interacting with families and families interacting with their own kids."
Frahm said the fraternity members canceled dinner at the house to eat dinner at the Pancake Feed. "They're always very willing," Frahm said. "The kids love to see them."
Participating in these community service projects has helped the fraternity win state and national awards, Laflin said.
It was presented with the Hugh Shields Award from its national fraternity, which distinguished it as one of the top chapters in the nation. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has also granted the fraternity with the C.B. Schultz Community Service Award for the past two years.
"The partnership gets stronger every year," Galvin said. "They just become more and more involved. I think that's the beauty of this partnership.
"The more continuation that you have, the stronger the partnership bonds."