By Mackenzie Prince
The University of Maryland’s fraternity and sorority community came together the week of April 6, raising funds and highlighting their philanthropic efforts through the annual Spring Fest celebration.
The UMD Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Community hosted the series of events, which took place from April 6 through April 10. Participating chapters were divided into eight teams, working with around four other sororities or fraternities to compete in each event.
On April 6, teams attended Clean City, an event aimed at cleaning up litter in the Old Town community. Over the next week, teams competed in a banner making contest, a lip sync routine and a volleyball tournament.
Zorawar Singh, a freshman information systems major, competed in various activities with his fraternity, Zeta Psi.
“The activities were engaging and got a lot of people involved,” Singh said. “It was fun to see everyone [in Greek Life] come together for a good cause.”
The winner was announced on Friday, April 11, solidifying the Blue team’s first place standing. The victorious team won $2,000 towards their national philanthropies. The Blue team included two sororities –Alpha Xi Delta and Gamma Phi Beta– and two fraternities –Alpha Sigma Phi and Delta Sigma Phi.
Alessia Walsh, a junior elementary education major and PHA Vice President of Philanthropy and Service, reflected on the purpose of the event for the UMD Greek Life community.
“[Spring Fest] promotes friendly competition through games, encourages chapters to participate with each other, forms new relationships, and creates fun memories,” Walsh wrote in a statement. “It is a mix of service and spirit.”
Walsh continued, noting the success of the “Greeks Give Back” event, where members crafted their own donations, such as dog toys, snack packs and puzzles. Over 200 donations were collected and distributed to local charities.
While Spring Fest serves as a way for Greek life organizations to come together, they also commonly host their chapter’s individual philanthropy events during this time.
Taylor Fetzko, a sophomore environmental science and policy major, serves as Zeta Tau Alpha’s Vice President of Philanthropy. Fetzko and her sorority raised over $8,000 for breast cancer awareness through their build-your-own taco event, or “Zetacos.”
“Leading up to the event, it was important for me to remind people that the whole reason behind hosting ‘Zetacos’ is to support our philanthropy that we care about so deeply,” Fetzko said. “Our chapter’s passion for breast cancer education and awareness is one of the things that makes it so special.”
While it may seem difficult for fraternities and sororities to focus on events beyond their own, Fetzko reassured that each chapter aims to raise awareness alongside one another.
“Every chapter works to support [neighboring] causes that are all so important and meaningful, and it’s touching to see how passionate each chapter is about their respective philanthropies,” Fetzko said.
Ryan McNamee, a freshman neuroscience major, joined her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, in celebrating “Night of the Carnation.” Through this event, chapter members heard from domestic violence survivors and raised money for their philanthropic cause — domestic violence awareness.
“The event was really special because we were able to come together as a chapter and raise money for something we all really care about,” McNamee said.
Even though Spring Fest ended, UMD’s fraternity and sorority community will continue philanthropic efforts throughout the school year. Fetzko plans to continue in her role supporting these initiatives and engaging fellow students in acts of service.
“Being VP [of] Philanthropy is a position that is certainly not easy, but it is so rewarding,” Fetzko said. “There is a lot of stress leading up to events…, [but] once I see it finally come to life, it’s such a fulfilling experience.”
Featured Image: Students participate in a volleyball match Thursday, April 10, marking the end of the week-long “Spring Fest” competition. Photo by Mackenzie Prince.