Feb 23, 2008

Despite a blizzard throughout the northeast, more than 100 alumni attended the annual Initiation Banquet in 2008. The actives, and in particular the sophomores who coordinated the huge event, did an outstanding job in hosting brothers from the 1940s to the present (with extra attendance by brothers from the 1970s, a leap-year tradition). 

The Initiation Banquet also marked the beginning of the public phase of "Insuring Brotherhood for Generations," the Chi Phi Beta Foundation Capital Campaign. Campaign Committee Chairman Bill Frezza '76 announced that lead donors, including 100% of the current actives, had pledged approximately $970,000 of our $1.5M goal.

Rick Tavan '70 then laid down a challenge: if the crowd could get the total up over a million at any time that night, he would add an additional $50,000 to his pledged gift.

He didn't even have to wait until after dessert. One by one, brothers took the microphone and called out pledges in amounts ranging from $500 to $50,000, quickly adding $150,000 in informal pledges to the campaign total. "That was, without peer, the most inspiring charitable pledge session I've ever seen," said Rick, happy to have his challenge matched.

Many thanks to the brothers who have made their pledge formal by sending in their signed pledge forms. (And to those of you who haven't had a chance to do so, please send it in soon so we can get you on the official honor roll and count your pledge toward the campaign total!)