Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity’s main philanthropic focus this year is a nationwide effort to raise awareness, money and canned-goods for the Feeding America Campaign. Colorado State University- Pueblo’s chapter of the fraternity previewed their Feeding America Campaign last week with a squirt gun and water balloon fight called the Water Mafia to raise money for the cause.
“There (were) four teams with eight to nine members per team,” said Mike Weiner, president of the CSU-Pueblo chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Points were awarded to each individual based on how many other members of the rival teams they hit with their squirt guns or water balloons.
“Water balloons are called grenades, and if you hit an opposing team member with one balloon it counts as three points. If you shoot someone with a squirt gun it counts as one point,” said Anthony Herrera, chapter vice president.
“The team with the least points donated $25; third place, $20; second place, $15 and first place, $10. $70 will be donated from the Pueblo chapter to the Care and Share food bank in Pueblo for (last) week’s event. Every $1 donated is 10 pounds of food, so our combined $70 will be turned into 700 pounds of food,” said Herrera.
By the end of the week, Lambda Chi Alpha raised the $70 in donations with the Water Mafia contest, but the purpose of this first event was to raise awareness on campus and generate some excitement within the fraternity.
Beginning in October, the group will officially launch their campaign, holding numerous events to raise money.
“We will be sitting in front of the Library on campus to collect spare change or canned goods from those interested in contributing,” said Herrera.
In order to promote the giving campaign, they will be putting posters up around the university as well as attend club meetings to inform others of the campaign. Fliers with information about the events will be passed out at the student housing facilities according to Weiner.
When the fraternity solicits businesses to donate, those businesses will get their logo or name on the fliers passed out to students.
“We are trying to get the community involved,” said Herrera.
Nov. 2, 2014 is the last day of the Feeding America Campaign and the deadline to have all proceeds turned in.
“On November 2, every food bank gets a bunch of food from Lambda Chi worldwide,” said Weiner.
“Mad Rush Week” is the last week before the Nov. 2 deadline. During the week of Oct. 25-31, Lambda Chi will be collaborating with student government, asking them to help collect canned food.
“In the beginning of (Mad Rush) week, we get volunteers to drop off bags at all the student housing and ask them to fill their bags with food. At the end of the week we pick up the bags and weigh the food,” said Weiner.
At the end of the campaign, the group plans to give all of the cash collected to the Care and Share Food Bank, located on the south side of Pueblo. All food proceeds will be given to St. Joseph’s Parish church in Pueblo County where it will be distributed to people in need, according to Weiner.
“November 2 is our Founder’s Day when Lambda Chi Alpha was founded in 1909, and it is also right before Thanksgiving, so it’s really cool that we are able to collect all this food and money for people in need,” said Herrera.
