Greeks joined forces Sunday night to show their support for Haiti relief in the form of a spaghetti dinner at the Sigma Pi fraternity house.
The event was a collaborative effort between Sigma Pi fraternity and Alpha Chi Omega and Zeta Tau Alpha sororities. Sigma Pi provided the pasta and set up tables in their house at 303 Fraternity Row for guests to eat and socialize over spaghetti and salad.
The dinner was Alpha Chi Omega's idea, and they reached out to Sigma Pi and Zeta Tau Alpha, said Alexis Hager, vice president of fraternity relations for Alpha Chi Omega.
"One sorority can put an event together on its own," Hager (sophomore-art history). "But it's different to plan events with each other. It brings us together."
The Sigma Pi house was decorated with white and red streamers and balloons. Many guests were wearing red for Haiti.
Attendees paid $7 for their buffet-style dinners, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward Haiti relief efforts, said Vice President of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority Marin Galvin (sophomore-supply chain management and information systems).
Kathy Plavnik, a member of Alpha Chi Omega, said events that benefit philanthropies are important to greek life.
"It shows people that we support charities and that we are aware of national issues," Plavnik (sophomore-neuropsychology) said.
With the $7, guests also received a raffle ticket to win one of four prizes, which included a Penn State Snuggie, Penn State water pitcher, and Penn State baseball and basketball gear signed by the respective teams. Additional raffle tickets could be purchased for $1.
Collaborative events between fraternities and sororities help bring more support to philanthropies, Alpha Chi Omega member Lauren Cadillac, said.
"There's power in numbers," Cadillac (sophomore-nutritional sciences) said. "It brings greeks together and we can accomplish a lot more."
Casey Knapp, a Sigma Pi fraternity member, said philanthropic events improve the image of greek life as well as relations between fraternities and sororities.
"This allows us to get together in a different setting," Knapp (junior-public relations) said. "We can build better relationships and show people that we're not just about partying, but helping others."
