Delta Zeta was one of the 14 campus sororities that participated in the chapter’s annual War of Roses event raising money and awareness for The Ability Experience and people with disabilities. Activities were spread out over five weeks and included an empathy dinner, flag football tournament, sheet sign competition, t-shirt and ticket sales. The War of Roses capstone event was the talent show in Purdue’s Loeb Playhouse on March 3.
Chi Omega also won the sheet sign competition. Delta Zeta sold the most t-shirts raised the most funds for The Ability Experience. Sigma Kappa sold the most tickets to the talent show.
Zeta Tau Alpha won the flag football competition, The Rose Bowl.
The War of Roses programming raised nearly $6,300 toward the chapter’s annual Ability Experience fund-raising. From the proceeds, the chapter will also be donating $250 to The Starkey Hearing Foundation, Delta Zeta’s philanthropy.
“We received an amazing response in terms of participation from both brothers and the participating sororities,” said Pranit Das, the chapter’s Ability Experience chairman.
“The thing that stands out the most to me about the Ability Experience is its focus on service. At our chapter, does numerous programming events that give us an opportunity to interact with people with disabilities on a more personal level day in and day out.”
The War of Roses is one of five things of the school year that benefit people with disabilities.
In the fall, the chapter hosts the David Feltner Memorial Bike-a-Thon. That’s followed by a Halloween-themed costume party for clients of the Arc of Tippecanoe, Arctoberfest. In the spring, there’s the Pi Kapp 100, a 100-kilometer cycling event whereby riders and crew commit to a fund-raising goal. And each school day, chapter members volunteer in special needs classes at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
By 2017, the chapter will have had 66 riders on the Journey of Hope, including 11 this summer. It has also had eight riders in Gear Up Florida
In each of the last seven years – and nine of the last 11 years – the chapter has raised more than $10,000 for The Ability Experience. Since it first started fund-raising in 1980, the chapter has raised nearly $215,000.