A crowd of nearly 260 people greeted the 24 Pi Kapp 100 riders and crew as they completed their Zionsville-to-Lafayette 100-kilometer bike ride that day. Riders were required to raise at least $150 and crew $75 toward the chapter’s annual fund-raising for Push America.
A crowd of 280 helped celebrate the accomplishments of the chapter during 2013-14 with a series of speakers.
The day’s activities included a luncheon, reception with appetizers, auction that raised funds for either Push or a house improvement project, and a moms social gathering late into the evening. The luncheon attendees also learned about the various ways the fraternity reaches out to the disabled.
Push events during the 2013-14 school year included: the third annual 72-hour David R. Feltner Bike-a-Thon, seventh Annual War of Roses and 15th annual Pi Kapp 100 Ð all raising funds and awareness for Push America. Furthermore, the chapter sends members each school day to the Lafayette Jefferson High School special needs classes and hosts the Arctoberfest, a Halloween costume party for clients of the Arc of Tippecanoe.
Chapter alumni Kevin Ohaver and Andy Parker, founders of the spring Pi Kapp 100 in 1999, reminisced about how the event got started.
“When we started this, the chapter needed an event to get members involved and supporting Push America,” said Parker, a two-time Journey of Hope rider. “No solid, consistent program existed at the time and I worked alongside archon Kevin Ohaver and other chapter members to get something started.
“Push has a lasting lifelong impact on fraternal life through its programs,” he said. “It’s really sharing selfless acts and understanding empathy with your new family members.”
Ohaver, a former leadership consultant for the fraternity, said he helped establish the Pi Kapp 100 in order to have a spring event.
“We already had a fall event, so we needed some spring programming,” he said. “Biking was a key aspect of Pi Kappa Phi already.”
Ohaver said in 1997-98, the chapter had raised $21 for Push America the whole school year and had a total of four chapter brothers participate in the Journey of Hope in its history. By 2015, the Purdue chapter will have had 38 JOH riders Ð including six in 2013, four in 2014 and another four in 2015.
“I was overwhelmed by not only the magnitude of the event but more so by the caliber of men that make up Omega Chapter today,” he said after the event. “I was truly humbled to be standing there and continue to be as I reflect on the entire experience.”
Parker and Ohaver lauded the chapter for making the Pi Kapp 100 grow over the years and were amazed by chapter Push programming today as well as the involvement of parents at Moms Day.
The evening auction raised $9,775. Of that, donors targeted Push America with $3,140 of the total amount raised. Another of $3,325 was raised through the Pi Kapp 100 part.
Furthermore, the chapter held its War of Roses earlier in the week, which pitted 15 campus sororities competing in various activities including an empathy dinner, a disability race and a talent show. That programming grossed $5,112. Thus, the week of April 9 grossed an excess of $11,000 for the chapter’s national outreach program.
The luncheon portion of the day ended when president Kaleb Stephens surprised everyone by presenting a Pi Alpha trophy. The hardware recognized the 38 Purdue chapter members who had/will have ridden in the annual summer Journey of
Hope, a summer Push America national fraternity cross-county cycling trip raising awareness and funds for the disabled.
