Fraternities team up to raise money for their philanthropies

Marshall University's Delta Chi and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternities hosted their first service auction together Tuesday in the Memorial Student Center.

"The service auction is to raise money for our philanthropy, the Cystic Fibrosis foundation, and for Delta Chi's philanthropy, the Jimmy V. Foundation," said Nathaniel Fawley, social chair for Pi Kappa Alpha. "We auction off services such as doing math homework, or cooking and cleaning for someone to raise money for our philanthropies."

"It doesn't cost anything to attend the event," said Brandon Alexander, philanthropy and community service chair for Delta Chi. "We were just asking for donations."

It costs a minimum of $5 to bid on a service offered by a fraternity brother.

Fawley said Delta Chi raised approximately $480 and Pike raised $580 to go toward each philanthropy.

The auction began at 7:30 p.m. and lasted until about 9 p.m.

Participants bid on a member of the fraternity and their services provided.

Alexander said the fraternity brothers must complete their services before a date stated in a contract between the buyer and the brother.

"The contract stated who bought the service, which fraternity member is performing the service, the date of the service and the amount of money that they bought their service for," Alexander said.

Fawley said the highest bid at the service auction was $110.

Various members of Delta Zeta, Alpha Xi Delta and Sigma Sigma Sigma attended the service auction and bid on the services offered by the fraternity brothers.

Fawley said he thought the event went really well.

"We raised more than we expected to," Fawley said. "We were really glad to work with Delta Chi at the service auction."

Each fraternity had their own MC for the event.

He said the auction is just one of the events they have to promote Greek unity among other fraternities and sororities.

"It is really good to have Greek Unity," Fawley said. "We are trying to work on the bond between other fraternities and sororities."

He also said the fraternity has teamed with other members of the Greek community to promote unity among Greeks such as washing firetrucks with Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority at a local fire station.

Kelly Starkey can be contacted at starkey27@marshall.edu.