Syracuse University Greek organizations raised more than $4,300 in 90 minutes for United Way during Dollar Day on Friday.

Prior to the Syracuse football game against Louisville Friday night, members of SU fraternities and sororities stood in groups around campus collecting donations for United Way, an organization that funds charities in central New York. This year was the 16th annual Dollar Day, and it is a part of a larger campaign to support United Way that is organized by SU faculty and staff.

In past years, the event has raised $2,000 to $5,000 and this year there was a goal of raising $4,000 in the two hours before the game, said Peg Northrup, assistant director of government and community relations at SU and event coordinator. Six weeks of planning and publicity going into the event resulted in the students raising $4,343.29 in only 90 minutes, she said.

Prior to the event, Northrup said she reached out to the Greek community at SU, inviting all members to volunteer. The volunteers were divided into 40 teams before the event, and each team was given a location on campus that would have a lot of pedestrian traffic to collect money for United Way. Volunteers were also given posters and props to attract attention, but some groups took it a step further by doing tricks like juggling or cart wheels to persuade the crowd to donate, Northrup said.

“We try to make it fun and engaging,” she said. “The fans are very generous.” She added that it taught the students about the organization while giving them the chance to engage and participate firsthand in the support of the charity.

Northrup added that United Way has close ties with the university, and it is unique in that it is the only charity SU staff can make donations to via paycheck.

For many students, the event is a positive experience, which leads them to return and participate again. Jeff Yam, a senior information technology and marketing major and a member of the Nu Alpha Phi fraternity, is one of the returnees. This year was Yam’s third time participating in Dollar Day.

The event is a friendly competition among peers, each with personal goals, and it was a great opportunity to give back to the community, Yam said.

Kelvin Read, a junior television, radio and film and finance major and a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity said one important reason for volunteering was that it was an ideal opportunity for the Greek community to give back to the local community, as United Way is an organization that supports 91 other local charities.

“If you can bring a smile to a face of someone giving money, that always feels good,” Read said as he was asking for donations and giving directions to the fans. Read shared how supporting the cause does a lot of good for a lot of different people.

Craig Collie, the United Way liaison with SU, was also present at the event. He became involved with Dollar Day several years ago, and SU is one of his accounts at the organization. He attended the event to share information about United Way, as well as support the students and show the effect they are having on the Syracuse community.

Said Collie: “I am excited to see the SU community support the larger community with their time, their talent and their treasure.”

Published on October 6, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Erin: eemcdona@syr.edu