Alpha Chi Rho, the fraternity better known as Crows, is making the best of Geneseo's harsh winter weather by hosting their seventh annual "Deep Freeze" fundraiser outside Sturges Hall. The chilly week began on Sunday evening and will continue until Friday.
The event is led by co-chairs and juniors Phil Heiler and Ryan Lang. During the week, fraternity members camp in tents in Sturges quad for 24 hours a day in efforts to collect donations and raise awareness for the American Cancer Society.
The event was planned a few months in advance and the brothers of Alpha Chi Rho had to buy their tents and extra supplies. Such a unique fundraiser event may pose potential health risks - why choose a night in the quad over something simple like a lemonade stand or bake sale?
"Students passing by on campus might feel bad for us therefore become more compelled to make a donation," Heiler said.
Students, along with giving donations, have displayed their gratitude by offering blankets, hot cocoa and soup. University Police have also been known to stop by with cookies.
The event has been quite successful in the past. Sturges quad is a traffic hot spot, with many students passing as they walk to and from classes. More traffic equals more donations, and last year the event raised $2,600.
The brothers have also set up an impressive and creative way to encourage donations. Attached to a plastic donation bucket is a huge wooden board that contains a large thermometer marked off at 500, 1,000 and 1,500 intervals to represent the amount of money raised.
Along with donations being collected in Sturges quad, several Deep Freeze-related activities are taking place to further spread awareness and collect donations. The KnightSpot will be hosting Guitar Hero and poker tournaments, where players can donate money and winners can receive gift certificates to Mama Mia's. Dr. Robert O' Donnell of Geneseo's biology department will be hosting a cancer discussion for those interested in learning more about the disease.
Despite losing sleep and dealing with temperatures close to zero degrees, Heiler said the event is a worthwhile experience. He emphasized the fact that the brothers can enjoy hanging out together while encouraging their peers to donate to a worthy cause.