On Friday night, all corners of Greek life from Main Campus were at McGonigle Hall supporting Kappa Sigma Fraternity’s charity dodge ball tournament for its Military Heroes Campaign.
The campaign was initiated by the national branch of Kappa Sigma.
The $400 raised from the tournament will go to the Fisher House Foundation, Inc., an international nonprofit organization that serves members of the military, retirees, veterans and their families. The foundation works to build housing facilities for veterans’ families when they visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The tournament had a larger turn out than what was expected
“I thought it went really well. We had a large turnout,” said sophomore Mark Fabbi, chairman of community service for the fraternity.
Brothers in Kappa Sigma won their own tournament, despite a rocky start in the beginning. Because they held the tournament for charity, Kappa Sigma did not receive any prize for winning.
“The Lumberjacks” a team composed of women from various sororities on campus, won the women’s tournament. They received a small monetary prize for their efforts.
Last year, the fraternity held a dodge ball tournament for testicular cancer research, but this year, it opted to support a cause that was closer to home for the brothers – supporting American troops.
“Our alumni adviser [Jay Kelly, the founder of Kappa Sigma at Temple], came back from Afghanistan,” Fabbi said. “That is just one of our many brothers who have gone over to serve in this war and in previous ones.”
Campus Safety Services was also involved with the event. It donated $50 to the campaign and a megaphone for the event.
Miss Philadelphia made a brief appearance at the event to show support for the cause.
“[Miss Philadelphia] was kind of a way to get more people attracted to the event,” Fabbi said. “It was nice having her here.”
Red Bull and Rockstar Energy Drink donated drinks for the event, and City View Pizza provided free food. The tournament is just one of numerous community service projects Kappa Sigma is coordinating.
“We have already accomplished this semester 1,500 hours of community service hours as a fraternity, which is a great amount, but we still have four events left,” Fabbi said.
Upcoming community service events for Kappa Sigma include hosting a toy drive at the Bell Tower for children with cancer and working in local soup kitchens.
The fraternity plans to hold another tournament next year, with a goal of doubling this year’s fundraising totals to $800.
“As a fraternity, we are called upon for a greater cause,” Fabbi said. “I felt like tonight we came and answered that call.”
Brian Dzenis can be reached at brian.dzenis@temple.edu.
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