On Oct. 29, a total of 20 brothers volunteered their time with Arctoberfest, a costume-themed Halloween party, hosted with the Arc of Tippecanoe. The Arc is a national organization with a local chapter that assists adults with disabilities.
For nearly two hours, chapter members partied with 60 others gathered at a local bowling alley. The fraternity-Arc Arctoberfest, established in 2011, is the most anticipated event of the year for the special needs clients and their families.
It included dancing, snacks and awards for various categories of client costumes.
“It’s rewarding to be able to host the annual Halloween party each fall with the Arc,” said Matt Zelinski, the fraternity’s Ability Experience chairman. “It’s a great way for guys in our chapter to connect with people in the greater Lafayette community.
“Seeing all the members of the Arc enjoy spending time with our guys is an uplifting experience,” he said.
Arctoberfest is one of several events the chapter holds that are not fund-raising in nature, but are servant leadership. Another example of the fraternity’s service-first mindset, is a spring Second Chance Prom, that allows former high school students with special needs to attend a prom. That, too, is held in conjunction with the Arc and also with Best Buddies-Purdue.
Other events the chapter holds each school year include: The David Feltner 72-Hour Memorial Bike a Thon, War of Roses and the Pi Kapp 100.
Furthermore, chapter members assist special needs classes at a local high school three or four school days per week throughout the academic year.
The next fraternity community event will be a $11,500 check presentation at the Nov. 12 Lafayette (Indiana) School Board meeting. The represents the Ability Experience Circle of Giving grants from the chapter’s fund-raising in 2017.
Since 2009, the special needs classes at the local high school will have received $39,689. The money is used for classroom supplies, field trips and food.