The brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon have always taken great pride in helping the surrounding community. Schenectady is our home, and we realize that if we are truly invested in the future of this home, we must help it along. Therefore, Delta Kappa Epsilon has put a lot of effort each and every term into performing various philanthropy events throughout the community. This service to our community is so important that we added the position of Vice President of Philanthropy to our executive board two years ago. Below are a few examples of the type of philanthropic events Delta Kappa Epsilon has been involved in over the last three years.
The brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon are happy to announce that this past Fall, they had the largest turnout of any Fraternity for the annual John Calvin Toll Day. DKE brothers are proud to wake up each year to go spend the morning deep in the heart of Schenectady helping to paint, clean, or somehow fix-up parts of the city. The Vice President of Philanthropy has even begun looking into starting another John Calvin Toll Day in spring term in order to be able to enjoy this day more than once a year. More information
The brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon have long been supporters in the annual Relay for Life philanthropy event, which helps raise money for the American Cancer Society. The brothers have helped raise money to fund a team each year to walk around the Nott throughout the night, as well as helped with other parts of the event including running the grill to feed the late-night walkers. A few of the brothers have been on the planning committee for the event the last few years, in order to ensure that it goes off without a hitch. This event will continue to be an integral part in our service to the community for years to come. More information, join our team, and donate to our team.
Students from Schenectady elementary school came to the Field House to learn about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. The Brothers set up a station at the event which featured a football throw-and-catch and several games of touch football with the students. This community service event is part of the ongoing effort to create a closer link between the college and schenectady, as well as raise health awareness.
This past spring DKE and the Cycling Club hosted the first annual Charity Bike ride to raise money for the United Way. Riders came from all over the Capital District and had a choice between a 25-mile and 50-mile ride. The brothers not only assisted in setting up and breaking down the sign-up station, they also hosted a barbeque for all of the participating riders.
Another program that our house takes great pride in is the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program. Over the past few years, Delta Kappa Epsilon has hosted numerous events with the program. These events often take place on Saturday or Sunday mornings, and have included drawing, movies, and even a Thanksgiving Dinner. The brothers are planning on getting even more involved with this program in the upcoming months.
On an almost regular basis, the brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon host a Volleyball Tournament. Teams from throughout the student body, faculty and administration register each year for the tournament. All the entry fees and proceeds go directly to various not-for-profit organizations that are chosen each year. To further enhance the atmosphere of the tournament, we offer a barbeque and refreshments each of the two days of the tournament. This volleyball tournament is a decade-old tradition, and we hope to hold it for many more years to come.
One of the events our brothers are most proud of is the yearly Monopoly Tournament which the brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon co-host with Sigma Phi. The two Fraternities are involved in set-up of the entire event, advertising for the tournament, getting community businesses to donate prizes for the winners, and take-down of the event. All in all, it is a very time-intensive process but a large amount of money is raised for Schenectady Family & Child Services, so it is well worth it. Delta Kappa Epsilon is already in the planning stages for next year’s tournament.
The brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon are very proud to announce that roughly a year and a half ago, they adopted a mile of highway on Route 890. The final mile directly before Interstate 90E is proudly marked with a Delta Kappa Epsilon sign. Four times a year, the DKE brothers march out to our mile of highway, complete with orange vests, pick-up sticks and garbage bags, and help keep another part of Schenectady clean. Though the work itself is less than glamorous, Dekes are known to dirty their hands for the common good.
In honor of our late chef, Brian Lehan, the brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon have been raising money on a yearly basis to keep the Brian Lehan Trust Fund in operation. The fund has helped pay for both of Brian Lehan’s children to attend college. The fund is supplemented on a yearly basis through alumni events that the Fraternity puts on during alumni weekend. We hope to continue this until the funds are no longer needed.
Recently, the brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon have begun to frequent another Schenectady location; the Schenectady Free Clinic. No, it’s not for free health care, but it is to help get more of Schenectady’s citizens to take an interest in politics. DKE brothers have begun heading to the Schenectady Free Clinic on a regular basis in order to help register patients and other Schenectady residents to vote. Our Fraternity places a great amount of respect and devotion in our democratic government, and we feel that in order to keep things running smoothly, we need to help get more people active in government. We only wish that we could find a way of reaching more people.
Each year, we wake up early on a weekend day to help out Union’s UCARE Day. The day is full of activities and games for Schenectady’s youth to participate in. Over the past few years, DKE brothers have set-up and run a basketball station for youth to play basketball. If you were to step into the field house on UCARE day, you would see young children and Dekes playing a friendly game of basketball, and it is a guarantee that the smile on the Dekes' face is just as big as the one on the child’s.
To suggest any philanthropic events, please email our VP of Philanthropy, David Ludwig, at ludwigd [at] union (dot) edu
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