Alpha Sigma Phi hosts first philanthropy event in 2 years

Alpha Sigma Phi’s weekend philanthropy program, “Putts for Mutts,” marked the fraternity’s first philanthropy event in two years and helped the fraternity bring back what it means to be greek.\nThe fraternity held the event, a miniature golf tournament, from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Putt-Putt miniature golf course on Pete Ellis Drive.\nTeams of four competed in the tournament, which cost $5 per person for each round played. The tournament functioned like a regular golf tournament, with the team scoring the lowest cumulative total score winning the prize.\nAll proceeds from the tournament will be donated to Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities.\nCanine Companions for Independence is the national fraternity chapter’s chosen philanthropic organization, so it seemed logical to donate the proceeds of the IU chapter’s tournament to that organization, said Alpha Sigma Phi President Brady Stiff.\nSince the fraternity has focused mainly on recruitment in the past few semesters, “Putts for Mutts” was the fraternity’s first philanthropy since 2005.\n“We decided to do this philanthropy to get back to what a greek organization should be,” Stiff said. “It’s a good way to make our time worthwhile and give our time to a good cause.”\nThe fraternity has worked with Canine Companions for Independence in the past, but this was before any of the current brothers became members, Stiff said. \nAbout 25 people attended the event and donated money, but the fraternity members hope the event will get bigger and better in the future, said Alpha Sigma Phi Philanthropy Chair Kevin Heaton.\nPizza Express provided pizza and water, and anyone who paid for rounds of miniature golf through the fraternity was also allowed access to the batting cages.\nThe Alpha Sigma Phi brothers said they liked doing the philanthropy because it was a good time to come out and have fun to support a cause, said fraternity brother Tom Wieczorek.