The Red and Black

Issue date: 1/12/09 Section: News

Last semester, the Beta chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon raised a record-setting $75,000 for their sole philanthropy, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The total is the largest amount raised in the 37 years that the fraternity has participated in this campaign, beating last year's total of $59,356 and surpassing this year's goal of $65,000.

Dyer Rothrock, philanthropy chair for the fraternity, credits Sigma Alpha Epsilon's 36 freshmen for the success of the undertaking.

"It's the first-year members who are responsible for raising this money," Rothrock said. "They each have a set amount to raise, and they send out letters to family members, friends and businesses and ask them to donate."

Paul Liles, a freshman SAE member from Concord, N.C., said he sent letters to his friends and family explaining what the society was and asking them to donate whatever they could.

"I raised $1,800, which was the minimum, but some people raised a lot more," Liles said. "One freshman, Duncan Walker, raised more than $6,000 by himself, which was the most raised by anyone this year."

The entire process took about three months to complete. In addition to the freshmens' work, 35 members of the fraternity participated in the "Light the Night Walk" in Athens, an annual, nationwide event that raises money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

One source of support for the campaign stemmed from of a tragic event for the fraternity.

Rothrock said SAE lost Greer Yorke, one of its first-year members, who fell from a cliff in Sewanee, Tenn. in October. Yorke's mother chose to dedicate all donations sent in his honor to the society.

Through the support of his mother, his friends and family, more than $3,000 was raised in his memory, Rothrock said.

The fraternity's history with cancer influenced its decision to choose The Leukemia and Lymphma Society for its philanthropy. In 1971, former SAE president Hamilton Goss Ansley III passed away from leukemia. In his memory, the fraternity adopted the the society as their philanthropy.

Since then, the fraternity has raised more than $1 million to fight leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. This year the society awarded SAE the Dr. Kenneth B. McCredie award for supporting the society for five years and raising more than $1 million.

For the future, Rothrock said he plans to organize more events for the spring to continue to raise more for the philanthropy.

"I'm hoping to do either a boxing event or a battle of the bands this semester," he said.

Wes Fugate, adviser to the Interfraternity Council, said Sigma Alpha Epsilon is consistently one of the top fundraisers for charity at the University each year.

"The IFC is always supportive and proud of the charity work our fraternity members do," he said, "and we congratulate SAE on their outstanding accomplishment."

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