VIDEO: UC s Greek Week Aims to Raise $25,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation

“Make a Wish Upon a Greek” – A Disney-themed Greek Week April 12-19 at the University of Cincinnati reflects the Greek organizations’ goals of raising $25,000 to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The fundraiser will help grant the wishes of four children from the Cincinnati USA region sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The spring tradition of Greek Week celebrates fraternity/sorority life at UC, which has existed on campus since 1840. During Greek Week, UC’s 11 sororities and 21 fraternities compete for points to win the games, as well as come together to support a common philanthropy.

“Greek Week is an amazing event on campus,” says Greek Week President and Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity Member Brian Rapien of Price Hill, an operations management major and Carl H. Lindner Honors- PLUS scholar. “Since we began working with Make-A-Wish, we have always exceeded our fundraising goals for Greek Week. This year, we hope to continue that trend,” Rapien says.

Vicki Marsala Calonge, UC program coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life at UC, says students have raised more than $14,400 toward their goal, the majority of the pledges coming from a fall letter-writing campaign. Calonge adds that through the year, UC’s sororities and fraternities contribute more than 20,000 hours of service to the community and their individual Greek philanthropies.

In addition to the fundraiser, a Greek Week blood drive will turn out donors for the Hoxworth Blood Center.

Greek Week Highlights

Monday, April 14

10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Order of Omega Blood Drive
Location: Tangeman University Center (TUC) Room 400-B
Up to four members from any chapter can participate to earn points and support the Hoxworth Blood Center in contributing to the community’s blood supply.

11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Greek Barbecue
Location: McMicken Commons
All members of the UC community are invited to join the Greek social organizations for free barbecue.

7 p.m.
Disney Trivia Night/Disney Costume Contest
Location: TUC Great Hall
Teams will select categories of Disney trivia, attempting to buzz in with the correct answer to score points. The winner will be determined by the highest point total. A Disney-themed costume contest will simultaneously take place with trivia night, with the costume contest winner selected at the end of the event. The Make-A-Wish sponsored children will attend the event and help choose the contest winner.

Tuesday, April 15

1 p.m.
Dodgeball
Location: Stratford Heights (courts behind the Lambda Chi Alpha House)
Teams are composed of six players in a single elimination tournament. The first team to eliminate all opposing players or the team with the greatest number of players remaining at the end of the regulation time will be declared the winner.

7 p.m.
Step-Off Show Finals
Location: TUC Great Hall
Each chapter will prepare a Step presentation with a minimum of four members. The first-place finish earns the winning team 50 points.

Wednesday, April 16

Noon
Sand Volleyball
Location: Stratford Heights (courts behind the Lambda Chi Alpha house)
The men and women will be playing three-on-three in a round-robin tournament.

7 p.m.
God & Goddess Competition Finals
Location: TUC Great Hall
A Greek talent show featuring 13 acts. The first-place winner scores 50 points toward their Greek Week total.

Thursday, April 17

11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dunk Tank
Location: McMicken Commons
Each Greek chapter will select a member to be dunked for charity. Prizes will be awarded to the chapters that raise the most money at the dunking contest.

7 p.m.
Lip Sync Finals
Location: TUC Great Hall
Greek organizations do their best song-and-dance routine. Thirteen acts will compete for a first-place win of 50 points.

Friday, April 18
Noon
Belly Flop Contest
Location: Campus Recreation Center
One participant per chapter will be judged on creativity, costume, crowd reaction and quality of their belly flop.

6:30 p.m.
UC Baseball Greek Night – UC vs. Georgetown
Location: UC Marge Schott Stadium
UC’s Greek organizations team with UC Athletics for a special Greek night. A member of UC Greek organizations will lead the national anthem preceding the game. One of the sponsored Make-A-Wish children as part of Greek Week will throw out the opening pitch. Greeks will solicit donations of the Make-A-Wish campaign and will be selling Make-A-Wish bracelets at the game. Baseball Greek night will also feature a Greek coney-eating contest and a pie-eating contest.

Saturday, April 19

11 a.m.
Greek Games
Location: McMicken Commons
Games including building a human pyramid, the egg toss, tug-o-war, a dizzy bat course, a chariot race (with the chariots made of a team of three players from the same chapter), and slip ‘n’ slide .

Greek Week comes to a close at the Greek Awards Banquet at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 22, in TUC Great Hall, with the announcement of the winners and an announcement of the total of funds that were raised.