Greek Week is hosting sporting and service events to benefit the Thompson Foundation and Camp Kesem.
During Greek Week, fraternities and sororities host service and sporting events benefiting the Thompson Foundation and Camp Kesem. The theme for 2024 is “Game On, Greeks!” and all sporting events are open to students.
This year’s beneficiaries for Greek Week are the Thompson Foundation and Camp Kesem. The Thompson Foundation raises awareness for autism and developmental disorders in children and helps them and their families by impacting public policy. The Foundation also funds the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri.
Camp Kesem helps children that are coping with a parent’s cancer diagnosis through a free, week-long summer camp program. According to Will Wehmer, the director of media for Greek Week, the committee for Greek Week has guaranteed each of the beneficiaries $25,000, providing critical programming and funding for each of these organizations.
Kickoff event + Mystery sport
Date: Sunday, March 10
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: TBA
The Kickoff event to Greek Week containing the mystery sport is on Sunday, March 10 from 5-7 p.m.
“We’re keeping [the location of the Mystery Sport] to ourselves right now because it is a really cool location,” Wehmer said. “We think that students are gonna be thrown off, honestly, and just like really shocked.”
The Mystery Sport will be divided into two teams of four players, and the participants must show up to the kick-off event to participate in the mystery sport.
Profit Shares
Date: March 11-14
Time: 5-9 p.m.
Each chapter will require 40% of members of fraternities and sorority members to go to their assigned restaurants in Columbia to purchase a food or drink item, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to this year’s beneficiaries. The assigned profit shares around Columbia include restaurants like Wendy’s, Shakespeare’s and Cane’s. Greek members attend their profit share on their assigned day and can show up any time between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Banner Judgment
Date: Monday, March 11
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Greek Town
Fraternities and sororities display banners in assigned groupings that follow Greek Week’s subtheme of TV game shows. Each banner is expected to have lights or an interactive element. Banners go up outside of the houses in Greek Town on March 10 and will be judged on March 11. Rankings are announced on March 21.
Basketball
Date: Tuesday, March 12
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: MizzouRec South Courts
Fraternity and sorority members will play basketball on the MizzouRec South Courts on March 12 at 6 p.m. Only Greek Life members can participate in sporting events, but events are open to all Mizzou students to watch.
Sand Volleyball
Date: Wednesday, March 13
Time: 6 p.m.
Address: MizzouRec Sand Volleyball Courts
Greek Week participants play in a sand volleyball game at the MizzouRec Sand Volleyball Courts on March 13 at 6 p.m. In this social event, members of Greek Life and other Mizzou students will gather to play and watch sand volleyball.
Canned Food Drive
Date: Wednesday, March 13
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Lot AV17
Community members can drop off their donations at any time during the canned food drive. There is also a fundraising link through the Food Bank for Central and Northeastern Missouri for those who would like to make monetary donations. Some of the recommended donation items include canned fruits and veggies, canned protein like beans and chicken, peanut butter, pasta products, granola bars and bagged or boxed rice products. Only cans larger than 10 oz will be accepted.
The Minute to Win it Event
Date: Thursday, March 14
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union
The Minute to Win it Event is in Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union on March 14 at 6 p.m. Each game is a variation of a Minute to Win It style game and there are 20 games in total available. Participants will play in a variety of minute long games with a running clock going during each of them.
Day of Service: Welcome Home
Date: March 14-15
Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Location: Welcome Home
This year’s Day of Service will be supporting Welcome Home, an organization that empowers and helps reintegrate homeless veterans into society as self-sufficient individuals. They provide a transitional living program for these individuals, allowing them to develop social and personal engagements and providing them the necessary tools for a successful future.
“Greek groupings will be completing various housekeeping tasks including painting parking spots, fixing up flower beds, and trimming the tree line,” Director of Service Molly Andrews said..
Tug of War
Date: Friday, March 15
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Greek Town
Tug of war will be played by fraternity and sorority members in Greek Town during the block party on March 15.
Powderpuff + Powderpuff Cheering
Date: Saturday, March 16
Time: 4 p.m.
Address: Stankowski Field
Fraternity and sorority members will play powderpuff flag football on Stankowski Field on March 16 at 4 p.m.
Aside from the game, Greek Life members will be giving performances with music lasting 30 seconds to two minutes.
Thompson Foundation Carnival
Date: Saturday, March 16
Time: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Rothwell Lawn
This sensory-friendly carnival provides games and interactive activities like “Pie in the Face” and “Dunk-a-Duck” for the patients of the Thompson Foundation and children in the Columbia community. All of the carnival’s activities are designed to be fun, relaxing and not overstimulating so that everyone can enjoy the festivities.
“There are going to be food trucks out there and it’s just a fun time for kids honestly,” Wehmer said. “Our whole goal is just letting the kids take a break, have fun, and run around.”
Soccer
Date: Sunday, March 17
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Stankowski Field
Greek Life members will play soccer on Sunday, March 17 at 9:00 a.m. on Stankowski Field.
Kart Racing
Date: Sunday, March 17
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Stankowski Field
The kart relay race will be a competition between fraternity and sorority members on Sunday, March 17 at Stankowski Field. The competition is broken up into elimination rounds and participants will complete laps around the track on three-wheeled, hand-powered karts. Each of the karts will be decorated according to their chosen TV game show for Greek Week.
Mystery Day of Service
Date: Sunday, March 17
Time: 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.
Location: TBA
Only two people from each Greek grouping get to attend the Mystery Day of Service. Service members have no idea what they are volunteering for until they arrive at the site for their four hour shift.
“This year it’s a lot more in-depth, they’re going to be making some really cool change in our Columbia community and it’s a really, really cool service opportunity,” Wehmer said .
Blood Drive
Dates: March 18-20
Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: MizzouRec
The blood drive is a three-day event taking place at MizzouRec. Greek Life aims to collect 2400 units of blood over the course of the drive, which amounts to about 800 units per day.
Anyone donating blood or volunteering is expected to fill out a Red Cross Blood Donation RapidPass before arrival and bring their driver’s license to the event.
“Donors can make a whole blood donation or a power red donation depending on their blood type and eligibility,” Hailey Loog, director of blood for Greek Week, said.
Columbia community members are welcome to attend the blood drive on a walk-in basis or by going to the Red Cross website and making an appointment. Further questions regarding eligibility requirements for donors can be answered at redcrossblood.org.
Fling
Date: March 18-20
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Jesse Hall Auditorium
At Fling, Greek Life students perform ten-minute long shows with singing, dancing, and acting. Each group must incorporate the Greek Week subtheme of TV Game Shows and include a song in their performance. Fling is open for everyone at Mizzou to watch. Skits will be placed in first, second and third rankings and are to be released on March 21.
Edited by Sophia Anderson | sanderson@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Natalie Kientzy and Grace Knight