Columnist Erin Franczak writes about two philanthropy events she attended this past weekend.
Saturday morning: The weather was awful, but the spirits were high when the 5cacia began. At 9:30 a.m. registration started at Tailgreat Park for a race to raise funds for the Lustgarten Foundation to combat pancreatic cancer. I cannot stress how weak and out of shape I am, so going in, I knew it was about to be an adventure.
I arrived shortly after registration began and picked up my T-shirt. (Which, by the way, had the most awesome design. Props to whoever created it. It was also my favorite color, so that may have had something to do with it.) They also had some sick jams that got everyone pumped up to run, as well as free food. How great, right? Bagels, water bottles, bananas and coffee: everything I needed to survive this 5K.
After registration, a few of the Acacia men gave great speeches on why this event meant so much to them. It was an experience to hear one gentleman talk about why the 5cacia began and how pancreatic cancer affected him and his family. It really motivated me to finish the race knowing the struggles other people face and that maybe I could make a small difference.
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Then the race began. I stayed pretty close to the back with my future roomie and friend, and we walked most of the race. Every once in a while, there was a gentleman pushing us on with cheers and signs. Then we finally hit the halfway mark, and five or six Acacia members were there high-fiving us on a job well done, whether or not I deserved it.
Eventually, my friends and I were 10 steps away from finishing when the men jokingly told us to run, and we did. Yes, we ended up in last place, but our energy and determination was worthy of first place (maybe). The race was such a great opportunity, and I was so glad to be a part of it.
Another amazing event I attended last weekend was the Phi Gamma Delta BreakFest for the Brave at its chapter house. I paid $5 for unlimited food. How much better could it get? Well, I got to help out another amazing organization. The money raised goes to the United Service Organizations to support military service members and their families.
The men of this fraternity are so nice and welcoming. They all were such gentlemen, and it was a pleasure to be there. They had probably the best food, and it was a great change from the typical dining hall options. They had orange juice, coffee, sausage and eggs. Plus they even had food I could eat — it’s pretty hard to go out when you don’t like meat, but I had fresh fruit and pancakes. I had a blast and felt like I helped out, too.
Attending those philanthropy events led me to respect those organizations even more for the hard work and dedication they put in every single day to represent their chapters in the best way possible.
Erin Franczak is a freshman studying journalism. Have you attended a philanthropy event at OU? Email her at ef441614@ohio.edu.
