For the brothers of Phi Delta Theta, a ticket sold means more than just another seat filled for an upcoming Red Wings game.
On Thursday night the Detroit Red Wings will be playing against the San Jose Sharks in their fight for a spot in the playoffs.
As a new chapter initiated this past October, the Jabs at the Joe fundraiser will be Phi Delta Theta’s first big philanthropy event.
They have been selling Red Wings tickets for $30, and $10 out of every ticket sold goes directly toward the ALS Association.
The ALS Association is the only national nonprofit organization for ALS.
The non-profit fights the disease by assisting those diagnosed with ALS while researching for a cure.
Electrical engineering junior and Phi Delta Theta member Stephen Winders said Jabs at the Joe will help make them known on campus and in the community.
Winders said they aimed to get as many different people from as many different areas of the community involved in going to the game and just seeing what Phi Delta Theta stands for.
“I take pride in Phi Delta Theta as my fraternity, and it’s just amazing and such a cool opportunity that we can raise money for (ALS),” Winders said.
The cause is particularly important to the brothers because Lou Gehrig, the famous baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease in 1939, is a Phi Delta Theta alumnus.
Winders said they hope to get as many philanthropy events in as possible, and that he truly enjoys being able to help people.
“Our philanthropy is one of the things that we’re the most proud of,” Winders said.
Physiology senior and Phi Delta Theta member Allan Baker said being a science major gives him further insight into why the fight against ALS is so important.
Baker said because ALS affects only a small percentage of the population, pharmaceutical companies aren’t going to provide much support.
He said it takes millions of dollars to fuel the search for a cure, and while more prevalent diseases such as diabetes receive a lot of funding, the money used to fight against ALS comes mostly from donations.
“It’s nice knowing about health and medicine and being able to help a cause that needs money,” Baker said.
He said Jabs at the Joe will help put Phi Delta Theta on the map philanthropy-wise. The event will give them something to build on, as well as experience for future philanthropy events.
So far, the fundraiser has been a huge success. With a goal of 185 tickets, the brothers have sold 202.
“It’s been an even bigger success than we first imagined when we were planning it,” Winders said.
Winders said in years to come, they hope to keep expanding their philanthropy to other Phi Delta Theta chapters and other fraternities.
For future events, Baker said Phi Delta Theta is working on planning a volleyball tournament and possibly a 5K.
