Students Fundraise for Ms. Greek Competition

Andy Hay and Johnathan Yau, members of Delta Tau Delta, organized this year's Miss Greek pagaent.

Heather Hawkins
UW News Lab

    On Sunday, Feb. 25, Meany Hall will be bustling with local celebrities - Andy Savage from The End, 1999 Miss Seafair and representatives from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center - and 15 women competing for the title of Miss Greek 2001.
    What is anticipated as a glitzy evening with bright lights and loud cheering, few observers may realize the months of hard work that lead up to the event.
    The competition, in its 15th year, is sponsored by the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and serves as a fundraiser for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
    The 15 contestants are representatives of the UW sororities. Most have been preparing for the competition since late fall when they were chosen to represent their sororities.
    The most time-consuming aspect of the Miss Greek competition is not picking out the clothes for the fashion walk, or perfecting a talent. By far the hardest category is fundraising, according to many of the participants. Each contestant needs to raise $7,000 to receive the maximum amount of points in the fundraising category.
    "Last year, we donated a record $80,000 to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC)," said Ryan Spahr, last year's Miss Greek director and a Delta Tau Delta member. "Each and every year we hope to better the donation from the prior year."
    While raising such a large sum can seem like a daunting task at first to the contestants, many are successful.
    "I just like to be busy," said contestant Jessi Knapp. "That is why this is the perfect event for me to be involved in."
    Knapp has done everything from host spaghetti feeds at her sorority to send out letters asking for donations.
    "I have a little over $5,000 right now," she said. "I will definitely make it to $7,000."
    Spahr was impressed with how creative some of the contestants are about raising money.
    "Last year, one girl was able to get the Spokane Correctional Facility to make wooden Christmas ornaments for free," Spahr said. "She then sold nearly 250 at $10 a piece."
    Heidi Corrigan, FHCRC special-events liaison for this event, said this affair has grown to be the largest privately organized philanthropic event associated with the University. The money collected is part of about $6 million raised annually by FHCRC.
    "My job is minimal in preparation for the competition," Corrigan said. "The young men do almost all the work. I secure the host and the panel of judges."
    This year, news anchor Leslie Miller of KCPQ will return to emcee the event for the third year. During the evening, each of the contestants performs a talent, does a fashion walk, speaks about what philanthropy means to them and answers an impromptu question.
    Scores from these events, along with points from fundraising, are added up and the winner is named Miss Greek 2001, culminating half a year of hard work.
    "The benefits of being involved in this are fantastic," Spahr said. "I mean, putting in five or six months around-the-clock work organizing a great event for such a worthy cause makes one feel so good."
    All the time and energy devoted to this cause is not overlooked by FHCRC.
    "The Hutchinson Center is very fortunate to have a strong relationship with the UW Greek system," Corrigan said. "We feel truly honored to merit the support of the outstanding men of Delta Tau Delta and the women of the UW sororities."