The biennial Rock-A-Thon — already the largest single-chapter philanthropy in the U.S. — became a lot larger this year.

The 130 members of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity were positioned on the streets of Missouri over the weekend, asking for spare change for the American Cancer Society. Their efforts paid off when they raised $123,000.

“(People) couldn’t go anywhere in downtown Columbia without seeing a guy with a can in their hand,” said Alex Silverman, Rock-A-Thon public relations chair.

Two years ago, the fraternity raised $80,000, making this year an increase of more than $40,000.

“Our goal officially was to exceed what we raised previously, but breaking $100,000 was the goal we were whispering around,” senior Brendan Lyss said.

Lyss said accomplishing and surpassing the $100,000 goal exceeded the members’ own expectations.

Fundraising started at the beginning of the year, asking alumni, family and friends to send in donations, Silverman said. The fraternity also used social media to solicit donations online.

Fundraising picked up pace last weekend when the fraternity hosted a golf tournament in St. Louis and began canning at Walmart stores.

The biggest fundraising drive happened over the course of 63 hours. The members went around Columbia with cans, asking for donations. Other members took shifts in mid-Missouri such as the towns of Mexico, Fulton, Boonville and Jefferson City. A dozen members went to St. Louis and a few went to Kansas City.

One of the biggest parts is the role of the “rocker” — a fraternity member elected by his peers. The “rocker” sits in a rocking chair on Ninth Street and Broadway for the entire time 63 hours of the weekend fundraiser.

This year, Lyss was chosen to be the “rocker.” Lyss said he has personal connections to the philanthropy because his father, an oncologist, and his brother both have had cancer.

“(Sitting in the chair was) nothing compared to what my dad, my brother and others are going through fighting for their lives,” Lyss said.

The “rocker” is regarded as an honor in the fraternity, since it has been a tradition since the first Rock-A-Thon event in 1969.

“(Rock-A-Thon) is a lot bigger now than it once was, but the same spirit has always been there,” Silverman said. “It’s cool to think that 40 years ago, there was a brother of our fraternity sitting … on a stage on Ninth and Broadway, sitting in a chair for 63 hours.”

This year, the fraternity also included sororities by having them decorate and donate a rocking chair to be given to a cancer treatment facility, Silverman said. Sorority members also helped can and had members sit in a rocking chair alongside Lyss.

All of these actions did not go unnoticed. More than 200,000 people viewed the event’s Facebook page over the weekend.

During the last day of canning, people began speculating about the final total raised.

Rock-A-Thon chairman Andrew Weil was the overseer of the money.

“Around 9 a.m. on Saturday, I was 99 percent sure we were going to break $100,000,” Weil said. “I was trying to keep pushing everyone on (throughout the day) even though I knew we were going to surpass our goal and most likely shatter it.”

After the fraternity finished the 63 hours of canning, the members all gathered by the stage to hear the announcement.

Typically, the “rocker” stands up at 10 p.m. Saturday night after his 63-hour sit, but with the amount of money in donations received, the final trip to the bank took a little longer than expected, Weil said.

“I was still at the bank counting until 10:40,” Weil said.

Then — in a moment that Silverman called unbelievable, Weil called a pandemonium of excitement and Lyss called absolutely euphoric — Weil announced the final total as $123,000.

“There were about 90 seniors waiting on the stage,” Silverman said. “We had to try not to jump and down because we didn’t know if the stage would hold us.”

Weil said he was thankful to the residents of Columbia, the sponsors and the state of Missouri for making the fundraiser so successful.

“Cancer is something that impacts everyone; it hits home for everyone,” Lyss said. “I think that’s why we get so much support from the community.”