Ten UT sororities raised a combined total of more than $30,000 for charities during RoundUp, one of the Greek system’s biggest annual fundraising weekends.
RoundUp is an annual weekend-long event fraternities and sororities host in West Campus. The participating sororities hosted philanthropic events for a variety of charities, including the American Heart Association and the Austin Center for Child Protection.
On Friday, Texas Kappa Delta hosted “KD Quesadillas,” where, for $5, guests ate quesadillas and churros. Kappa Delta also offered attendees face painting and a photo booth. Catherine Frost, human relations sophomore and Kappa Delta’s vice president of community service, said sororities capitalize on the sheer number of people passing through West Campus during RoundUp weekend.
“RoundUp is just a great opportunity because the whole campus is kind of in one place, and it’s just a good opportunity to get people together and raise money for your philanthropies and get people excited about the causes,” Frost said.
Kappa Delta aimed to exceed its annual $60,000 goal for its local philanthropy, Austin Center for Child Protection, with the money raised at KD Quesadillas, Frost said.
“In RoundUp alone, we typically raise $5,000 or more from KD Quesadillas,” Frost said. “A few weeks ago, we did a golf tournament that raised $60,000. It’s been a really big goal for us to achieve higher standards in philanthropy, so this year has been great for us.”
Austin Center for Child Protection has similar aims as the sorority’s national philanthropy, Prevent Child Abuse America, which a member of Kappa Delta founded, Frost said.
“Austin Center for Child Protection … takes kids who are in abuse cases and does a single forensic interview for them, so they don’t have to go through the interview over and over again and don’t have to relive the trauma,” Frost said. “It’s recorded and sent to necessary parties. It puts them through a program to help them get back on track for a normal life.”
Chi Omega sold tickets to its event, “Kickin’ with Chi-O,” and raised $7,595 for its philanthropy, Make-A-Wish Foundation, according to Kelly Brooks, advertising senior and sorority member.
“We sell tickets to Kickin’ with Chi-O, an event with snow cones, face paint, music and food,” Brooks said. “It’s really fun, and we do it every year for RoundUp, and all proceeds go straight to [Make-A-Wish].”
Alpha Phi’s official RoundUp fundraising event was called Brunch for Lunch, which raised more than $2,000, according to Anneke Rood, human development and family sciences sophomore and Alpha Phi’s director of philanthropy.
Rood said the proceeds from the event will be split between the national chapter of Alpha Phi’s chosen cause, the American Heart Association, and the chapter’s chosen cause, the Tuleeni Orphans Home, a home in Tanzania for orphaned children.
Rood said Alpha Phi’s philanthropic partnership with the American Heart Association is important to both her and others in the organization who have personally dealt with cardiovascular conditions.
“I was actually born with four heart defects, so it’s really close and personal to me,” Rood said. “The American Heart Association actually funded the research for the surgeries that saved my life. It’s really cool for me to be in a sorority that cares so much about heart health and giving back to the community that’s done so much for me.”
