We hear about the bad side of fraternity life all too often. We hear about sexual assault, violence, unintentional racism, death, and ridiculously over the top hazing that’s all in the name of tradition and “having fun.” But that’s really not what Greek life is about. Greek life has been, and always will be, about brotherhood and sisterhood, first and foremost. Your chapter is the family you choose–these are the people you want to be with for the rest of your life, through the good times and especially the bad.
With that in mind, it completely warms my heart to see what George Washington University’s Delta Tau Delta chapter did for one brother’s father, who is currently suffering from stage four stomach cancer. They raised more than $18,000 for his medical bills.
Thanks to a very successful IndieGoGo campaign, the Delta Tau Delta chapter was able to raise more than $18,000 for 59-year-old Tom Syron, whose son Casey is a junior at GWU and a brother of the chapter. After being diagnosed with colon cancer in 1988 and kidney cancer in 1996, Syron was diagnosed with stomach cancer that spread to his liver after 15 years of remission.
This is a video about the Syron family and Tom Syron’s condition. Warning: you will openly sob from this beautiful family and their optimism in the face of tragedy and hardship.
When Mr. Syron could no longer work due to his condition and the medical bills started to pile up, his son Casey decided that there must be something he could do, so he turned to his fraternity brothers for help. They responded in overwhelming numbers, establishing their brother’s father’s type of cancer as their philanthropic cause for the year. They came up with a number of fundraising efforts, including teaming up with local businesses to donate money from sales and a corn hole tournament because, well, fraternities.
“Right now I’m in a position where I can contact my network, contact my brotherhood, and really put strings together in order to establish a fund for my dad so he can continue his fight,” Casey said to the Huffington Post.
And the effort brought the brotherhood together like none other: “I’ve been in the chapter for a little over two years, and this is by the greatest sense of unity I’ve felt in the Greek community as a Delt,” said Charlie Temkin, the fraternity’s vice president.
The IndieGoGo campaign has raised a whopping 364 percent of their intended fundraising goal, will split all donations received between Tom Syron’s medical expenses and the Katie Moore Foundation, which funds research for rare cancer treatments.
“My dad is the silliest guy,” Casey said. “He deserves nothing but the best to happen to him, and it’s really unfortunate that a situation like this has brought him down.”
This is so beautiful. This really goes to show the power of brotherhood and sisterhood, and how Greek life helps people through times of impossible hardship.
I’m not crying. You’re crying..
[via Huffington Post]
Nice Move368
Respond
Stefon
New York's Hottest Club is wherever I am. Haters to the front, hunky Sailors to the back. Bow down betches. Follow this bitch on Twitter @StefonTSM [email protected]
@StefonTSM
