Fourteen groupings of MU sororities and fraternities were grouped to represent each of the 14 beneficiaries being honored during Greek Week 2011.
Comprised of close to 400 members each, the groupings don’t directly raise money for each of the organizations. Instead, the amount of money raised will be divided into 14 equal portions for donation to the beneficiaries at the end of the week. The goal is to donate $10,000 for each of the organizations, Greek Week Director John Bowen said.
Participating chapters in Greek Week compete on several different levels and are assessed based on a point system. With 5,250 points to be earned, 1,000 points each go to the portions of Greek Week titled “Blood, Fling, Service and Special Events,” 750 points go to the “Games” portion, 350 points go to “PR” and 150 points go to “Beneficiaries.”
“The Fling and Events portions get more points because they take so much time to plan and execute,” Greek Week Director of Communications Kelly Nelson said. “It’s hard to award less than 1,000 points because there’s so much going on.”
According to the 2011 Greek Week Rulebook, groupings participating in Fling are required to write, direct, produce and perform a skit. The process involves try-outs, rehearsals and performances. Points are awarded based on attendance, performance and ticket purchases. For example, if the groupings purchase tickets for less than 90 percent of the groupings’ total roster, points will be deducted.
At service events such as Greeks Giving Back, attendance is not required, Nelson said. But each group of 400 people is responsible for providing 40 members to volunteer for a minimum of three hours. At least two members from each chapter in the groupings are required to volunteer at all times to ensure one chapter isn’t responsible for all the service hours, Nelson said.
“Hundreds of people aren’t required to attend because the service places can’t handle the entire influx of people,” Nelson said. “The reason why we have so many different service events is so everyone (from the groupings) can have the opportunity to attend without having to go through the trouble of going to one huge event.”
Although the minimum number of volunteers expected to participate in service activities is set at 40, that figure is by no means the limit, Bowen said.
“Attendance is a big thing, and the battle comes with getting people to volunteer,” Bowen said. “Forty volunteers is the minimum number to get points, but more volunteers are encouraged. There are groupings that have sent out more than 100 volunteers.”
Aside from Greeks Giving Back, service events also include the Necessity Drive, Special Olympics and the Canned Food Drive. Groupings will also be awarded points based on how well they sponsor their individual beneficiaries.
“The groupings were matched to the beneficiaries, and for the first time, I’ve seen people embrace it,” Nelson said. “Some groupings put the beneficiaries’ logos on their jerseys, or mention the beneficiary in their skit.”
Nelson said such close connections between the beneficiaries and the groupings add to the purpose of Greek Week.
“The whole point we are involved is to form relationships in the community and give back,” Nelson said. “I can’t imagine it any other way. The groupings really get to know their beneficiaries and have gone above and beyond.”
