The women of Delta Gamma have been busy this week preparing for their annual fundraising effort, Anchorsplash, which will take place at the University of Memphis fitness center Sept. 29.
The fundraising event features swimming relay, skill and speed races between sororities and fraternities. Fraternities will also perform water ballet.
Anchorsplash is the chapter’s charitable effort that will benefit its national philanthropic projects Art of the Eye and Art of the Eye II, two mixed media art exhibitions featuring artists who are blind or visually impaired.
“For a long time, Anchorsplash has been a fun way to help the blind,” Hale McKirnan, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity said. “Besides just being a fun event, it is rare to get everyone to come together without tension. It’s just a fun competition.”
Art of the Eye presents 54 mixed media works of art by professional artists who are blind or visually impaired. The project was founded by a private organization in 1990 and presented as a gift to the Delta Gamma Foundation because of Delta Gamma’s commitment to sight preservation and to assisting the visually impaired or the blind.
Art of the Eye II is a sequel exhibit consisting of 42 mixed media works of art created by 10 of the original artists. The exhibit was developed in 1997 by Delta Gamma Foundation with support from Houston Delta Gamma Foundation and Lions Clubs International.
The Anchorsplash organizers raise money in many ways. Wednesday and Thursday, Delta Gamma members raised funds in their Most Beautiful Eyes Contest held in front of the Tiger Den. Each fraternity and sorority chose its member with the most beautiful eyes, and then a photo of the most beautiful eyes is attached to jars used to collect money. Passersby donate money to the jar that features what they think are the most beautiful eyes.
Money collected from the entry fees of the teams’ participating in Anchorsplash, as well as profits from tickets sold to audience members, also goes toward the
Fundraising efforts. Audience pays $5.
Amy Vitale, director of Anchorsplash, said she has been working all summer on getting donations from private businesses, the main source of donations. Vitale said the goal of Memphis DG is to bring Art of the Eye II to Memphis on the last leg of its tour.
Anchorsplash is a highly anticipated event that all Panhellenic and fraternal organizations look forward to each year. To be able to participate in the event, the U of M’s Alpha Delta Pi sorority has cut its weekend retreat short. Other Greek organizations are especially excited about the friendly competition between chapters.
McKirnan said the water ballet is a fun activity for the pledges and younger members to get involved in. SAE pledge Bobby Thron said he has been practicing nightly with other members in order to perfect their water ballet routine. Sarah Leonard is the DG member assigned to coach the SAE group’s dance, and she said the guys are doing a great job.
The Delta Gamma women said they are proud of their philanthropic efforts and want the students of U of M to know about these aspects of their organization.
“Sororities take a whole day of rush to talk about their charitable causes,” Megan Scearce, freshman DG pledge, said. “Choosing a sorority often depends on your philanthropic interests.”
Leonard hopes that the philanthropic efforts of her chapter will help to change negative perceptions about Greek life.
“Too often, the stereotype of sororities revolves around partying and formals,” Leonard said. “We’re also about scholarship, academics and philanthropy, and pledges look at our national charities and make their decisions based on those.”
Anchorsplash brings in the most money by a single organization on campus, grossing $7,000 last year. The event is planned and executed entirely by chapter members.
Donations to the Anchorsplash can be made at the event or by contacting Delta Gamma at 327-5791.
