2008 Woodie Awards
Fraternity helps disabled
By Mae Kerr
Issue date: 10/7/05 Section: News
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"This event was held to help create awareness for people with disabilities and to educate students, while stressing the importance of making a contribution," Scott McCaskey, Pi Kappa Phi chairman for the Push America committee, said.
The fundraiser ran for a continuous 48 hours, starting on Wednesday and continuing until today at noon.
"We raised almost $500 last year and we are hoping to exceed that amount this time around," McCaskey said.
The fraternity set up a booth in the quad near Bailey Library and accepted donations from students and faculty passing by.
McCaskey said donations of any denomination were accepted, with any contribution making a huge difference.
All of the money raised will be given directly to the Push America Foundation and used for its various programs helping those with disabilities.
The foundation provides support to any organization or services in assisting a person with a disability of any kind. This includes accidents, genetics or diseases that may limit one's ability to function properly.
"Our next project in affiliation with Push America will be the Push weekend held near the end of October at the Woodlands Camp for people with disabilities, located in Wexford, Pa.," McCaskey said.
"It gives the brothers a chance to make a difference by contributing their time, during which they will be doing construction work and helping to improve the camp facilities."
Those involved with the project in fraternity will also be meeting and spending time with the campers.
In addition, Pi Kappa Phi is involved with a service project called AccessABILITY. This program has fraternity members building wheelchair ramps for those with disabilities in lower income homes.
The construction of these ramps takes place over the course of one day and makes homes more accessible for those in need.
Push America was founded in 1977 and has continued to grow and broaden its outreach capacity for those with disabilities.
Through fundraising and help from its 20 plus corporate sponsors the foundation has raised over $9 million in support of its many projects and programs during the course of its existence.
Pi Kappa Phi is the only fraternity that has ever developed and supported its own national service project.
The fraternity includes 123 active chapters and nine associate chapters nationwide.
