Our Philanthropy
Unlike most other Greek organizations, since its founding in 1868 Pi Kappa Alpha does not have an official philanthropy, giving individual chapters the choice of who to support. However, it has become a tradition among chapters to restore a vintage fire truck and support their local fire department. The Zeta Theta Chapter continues this tradition, but our new philanthropy chair Joseph Crist has ensured we do not limit ourselves to it.
Firefighters are some of the least recognized first responders, and often suffer from inadequate funding and a lack of equipment. Out of 1,435 registered fire departments in Texas, over 85.6% are staffed mostly or entirely by volunteers. In addition, the state has slashed their funding, and despite over $30 million per year being assessed by insurance companies to finance them, mismanagement of the fund has led to a $100 million deficit and most of the money never reaching a department at all.
Recognizing the struggle of these brave individuals who are integral to our society, we host our annual Fireman’s Challenge week every spring. We support the San Marcos Fire Department, which alone responds to hundreds of fires each year. The week consists of various fundraising events, and at the end we use the money we have raised to directly purchase essential equipment requested by the firemen. Last year we bought $5,000 in equipment, but this semester we have raised over $10,800.
Furthermore, we have recently expanded our reach with philanthropy. On February 8th, 2024 we hosted “Greek Games,” a volleyball tournament between the various Greek organizations where we raised over $2,600 for the Center for Success and Independence, a youth rehabilitation facility in Houston, and gave out free NARCAN. We had the event to honor our late brother, Ethan Dalton, who attended there, and to help spread drug awareness and harm reduction information on campus.
.jpeg)
