The Southern

Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: News

Media Credit: Creative Commons

Media Credit: Creative Commons

Media Credit: Creative Commons

With death tolls rising over 150,000 in the capital alone, charities around the world are rushing to help Haiti. Pi Kappa Alpha's Delta Delta chapter collaborated with the United Methodist Committee on Relief to do what they could to help Haiti.

President of Delta Delta chapter, Chris Bessette, sophomore, heard about the 7.0 magnitude earthquake and knew he wanted to do something to help. But with the news of the 5.9 magnitude aftershock nearly a week later, Bessette immediately gathered his brothers.

"I knew as a fraternity we needed to get together and do something," Bessette said. "We wanted to make any difference we could possibly make." The event was thrown together in just two days.

With the goal of awareness, the brothers of Delta Delta wanted to facilitate an event where "students would want to get involved but otherwise can't," Bessette said.

On Jan. 27, students gathered at the bandshell to make relief packages to be donated through UMCOR to Haiti. Students were given a zip lock bag in which they stuffed washcloths, hand towels, bars of soap, combs, nail files, toothbrushes and band-aids. Pi Kappa Alpha also collected nonperishable food and monetary donations as well as other needed items.

Recruitment Chairman Branden Weber, sophomore, said that the events in Haiti are particularly devastating because, "Haiti is a developing country so the buildings couldn't withstand the quakes."

Pike was given a list of needed items by UMCOR and the Pike Relief Packages for Haiti event began.

"We just want to help as much as we can," Weber said.

As a fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha is very involved in community service at Florida Southern and in the surrounding Lakeland community.

"Service is a main aspect of our brotherhood. We require a certain number of hours by every brother but this is our first group service project," Bessette said, "Some of our brothers volunteer at the SPCA, the Salvation Army, and soup kitchens around Lakeland. We're trying to change the way people feel about fraternities."

"Pi Kappa Alpha's Delta Delta chapter wants to focus on service on a local level and help the Lakeland community," Weber said.

The Pike Relief Packages for Haiti proved extremely successful for the fraternity's first group service project. The final count of assembled relief packages was estimated at over 300.

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