Fraternity camps out on campus for Habitat for Humanity

By David Alexander
Western Herald

(Robert Youngs / Western Herald) WMU freshman Zachary Gunnels panhandles pedestrians for donations Tuesday at the flagpoles in support of Alpha Tau Omega’s Campus Campout. The fundraiser supports Habitat for Humanity, and brothers of ATO will remain at the flagpoles until noon on Thursday.

A Western Michigan University fraternity, in conjunction with Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity, says it wants to give back to the community by camping out to raise awareness and money to build a home for a needy family.
Members of the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) began camping at WMU’s West Campus Promenade flag poles noon Feb. 24 and will continue to do so for 48 consecutive hours. ATO is attempting to raise $5,000 to assist Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity with funding to construct a house that they will assist building. Every member of the fraternity took shifts residing in a tent during the 48-hour period, juggling class schedules as well.

ATO Philanthropy Chair James Kremer, a freshman majoring in aeronautical engineering and flight science, said that he was there “90 percent of the time,” and even though the campers had a small heater, it was still not a pleasant experience.

“It was pretty cold at night, and not many people walked by,” Kremer said of his experience camping out Tuesday night. “The people that happen to walk by at night, like 11-12 o’clock, they kind of saw how much more miserable it was than during the day.”

ATO Worthy Chaplin Andrew Lennox, a junior majoring in cultural anthropology, said that this has been the fraternity’s signature philanthropy event for the last five years and that ATO is looking to improve on their earnings of $3,000 from last year. They hope to raise $5,000 this year.
Lennox added that Habitat for Humanity is not helping the homeless; it is helping people get a good start with an affordable house and mortgage. Because the camp-out is symbolic, it is important that it take place in February, he said.

“Michigan February’s are cold and miserable,” Lennox said. “Because we want to get the point across that we’re making a small sacrifice for some people that, if it wasn’t for this program, they might be out in the cold.”

“It could just as easily be us as anyone else,” he later added.

The money raised comes from several sources other than this fundraiser, Lennox said. The 45 members of the fraternity will help build the house that the contributions help to make possible when construction begins in the spring. The location is still unknown, Lennox said.
Both Lennox and Kremer emphasized that the frat chose to work with the Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity because there is a direct impact on the community in which they live. The group has already raised $2,000 as of Wednesday night.

Lennox said he believes it to be a worthy cause, and that many organizations including The Den, Jimmy Johns, and several sororities have been supportive by providing campers with food and hot chocolate.

“It’s like a civic duty,” Lennox said. “We’ve gotten so much out of the community, it’s only right that we give something back.”

According to the Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity Web site, donations can be made on behalf of ATO with a credit card online. Checks made payable to Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity, with ATO in the memo, can be mailed to: Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity, 525 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo, MI, 49007.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Feb 26 2009. Filed under Campus, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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