On Oct. 29, 2014, the chapter hosted its fourth annual Arctoberfest, a costume-themed Halloween party for local people with disabilities. The event is held in conjunction with the Arc of Tippecanoe, a local agency assisting adults with disabilities, and Best Buddies of Purdue.
Carnival games and dancing were the theme of the two-and-a-half hour event, held in the parking lot of Purdue’s Bailey Hall, just north of the fraternity house. Partygoers also had the opportunity to have their faces painted.
While temperatures dipped into the upper 40s, the calm, clear night saw the parking lot rock with DJ music.
“I thought the event went great,” said Jarrod Wagner, Omega’s philanthropy chairman. “Talking to the guests and brothers during the event, everyone seemed to be having a blast.
“It was rewarding to hear from the many guests how they very much look forward to this event every year.”
Four awards were given out near the conclusion complete with plastic pumpkins filled with treats. Those awards included:
- Best Overall Costume: Shane for his rendition of Purdue Pete.
- Scariest Costume: Jason with his scary wolf mask.
- Best Dance Moves/Most Enthusiastic: Brittany in the angel costume.
- Most Detailed Costume: Andrew who dressed as Indiana Jones.
There were plenty of snacks for the crowd that included Arc clients, family members, board members, chaperones as well as the hosting fraternity guys.
The fraternity does many things to support youth and young adults with disabilities in the area. Consistent with the national fraternity’s philanthropy, The Ability Experience, the chapter assists in local special needs classroom each school day and does other outreach programs including the annual Arctoberfest.
Pi Kappa Phi would like to thank their neighbors at Bailey Hall for allowing them to use the parking lot and first floor of the building to warm up and use the restrooms.