University of Rhode Island Greek Life is holding Philanthropy Week, their largest event of the semester, from Nov. 14 to Friday, with events ranging from the annual “So You Think You Can Dance” competition to a sorority powderpuff football game.
Greek Life is partnering with three main benefactors: the Narragansett Parent Teacher Organization, the Maddie Potts Foundation and the Be Like Timmy Foundation, according to Matt Tritto, director of service and involvement on the Interfraternity Council.
Funds raised for the Narragansett PTO and Maddie Potts Foundation will go to rebuilding community playgrounds, according to Kayla Owens, vice president of philanthropy and service on the Panhellenic Council.
The Narragansett PTO will rebuild their playground as part of a town improvement plan, according to Owens. The Maddie Potts Foundation plans to rebuild the Richmond, Rhode Island, playground, which was taken down earlier this year due to safety concerns.
The Be Like Timmy Foundation was created in honor of Timmy Howard, a URI Phi Kappa Psi alumnus who passed away from a food allergy shortly after graduating last spring, Owens said. Howard’s family created the foundation to spread awareness around food allergies.
“Timmy’s death was a big loss [for] our community and the URI community, so we want to honor him,” Owens said.
Friday’s men’s club hockey game was dedicated to Howard, and his family spoke at the event, according to Owens.
Owens and Tritto choose local benefactors to give back to the community, according to Owens.
“A ton of students live in Narragansett, so we love being able to give back to the Narragansett PTO and the children,” Owens said.
For Greek Week in the spring, the benefactors were the Special Olympics of Rhode Island and Best Buddies of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. These benefactors were chosen because of Owens’s personal connection to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and volunteer work at those organizations.
Philanthropy Week at URI started in 2003, before Greek Week had any philanthropy aspect, according to Owens. The university wanted an event in the fall focused on community philanthropy. Eventually, Greek Week was changed to also promote philanthropy.
“So You Think You Can Dance” has been an event since the first Philanthropy Week, according to Owens. In the event, teams complete dance routines to advance through three rounds.
Philanthropy Week also includes a competition where sororities and fraternities are paired together and set up events through the week, according to Tritto.
Every year during Philanthropy Week, Greek Life supports the Rhody Outpost food pantry and Kid’s Cop Shop, which collects school supplies for students, according to Owens. Greek Life is also partnering with Greenhouse Gansett and Books Are Wings in Providence to do a greenhouse fundraiser and a book drive for reading levels up to fifth grade.
Events for Philanthropy Week this year included the men’s club hockey game on Friday, powderpuff football on Sunday, on-campus bingo in the Ram’s Den, off-campus bingo sponsored by the Greek Life Alumni Association on Monday, and Jeopardy in the Ram’s Den on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Nov. 19, Owens and Tritto counted book donations.
On Thursday, Nov. 20, fraternities will participate in capture the flag. The final event of Philanthropy Week is “So You Think You Can Dance.”
“At the end of the night [Friday], we’ll announce how much money we have raised and who won the week,” Owens said.
Donations for the week opened on Oct. 9 through CrowdChange and will end on Saturday at 10 a.m., according to the URI CrowdChange website. The fundraising goal for this year is $85,000.
Greek Week, another major fundraising event, will be held in the spring.
