With sweat dripping from masks and cheers echoing throughout the Herbert Wellness Center, fraternities at the University of Miami competed in a volleyball tournament hosted by sorority Alpha Delta Pi benefiting the Ronald McDonald House on Wednesday.
The Sept. 29 event was the last fundraiser of the semester for the sorority after members spent weeks tabling around campus, hosting a gala and selling homemade t-shirts. For the semester, the sorority raised $30,000, well over the $12,000 raised last semester, according to Gabryelle Garcia, the ADPi philanthropy chair.
“Being able to raise all of this money is very important for our cause,” said Garcia, a senior from Miami majoring in sports administration. “I’m really happy to be back.”
Garcia said that it was critical for ADPi to raise as much money as possible this semester. Due to the pandemic, members cannot physically volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House, a non-profit organization that works to ease the financial burden on families with hospitalized children. Before the pandemic, the sorority visited twice a month to spend time with patients and families.
“Now that we cannot go over, it is so important that every fraternity is here to help us raise money.” Garcia said, stressing the idea of raising money and hosting activities in order to raise as much as possible while making philanthropy fun for participants.
Junior ecosystem science and policy major Dharma Proctor saw how important it was to not just raise money for the Ronald McDonald House, but to add a spirit of excitement and competition in order to incentivize participation.
“It is really important to add a competitive advantage because it makes it more fun for the people involved,” said Proctor, a member of ADPi from West Windsor, N.J. “Frat coaches cheer them on and the energy leads to so much fun.”
The signs that ADPi created to cheer on the competing fraternities sparked excitement, and their energy was infectious throughout the court.
“This is by far my favorite event of the week,” said Maya Broadwater, a junior broadcast journalism major from Washington D.C. “Being in person and cheering on all of my frat guy friends is such a good time,” Broadwater continued.
Fraternities Phi Delta Theta and Beta Theta Pi competed in the final round of the tournament, which Phi Delta Theta won 15-13. Those who participated said they enjoyed playing and giving back to the Ronald McDonald House.
“Competing in a cooperative sport such as volleyball made me so much closer to the brothers,” said Gabriel Proulx, a sophomore exercise physiology and finance major from Boca Raton, Fla. and a member of Beta Theta Pi. “It was a great time for a great cause.”
