Alpha Gamma Delta wins Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Snowfest; helps raise $2,741 for Children's Miracle Network
Fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon's eighth annual week-long Snowfest contest managed to raise $2,741.27 for the Children's Miracle Network, with Alpha Gamma Delta coming out on top.
The week-long event that started on Feb. 20 and ended last Friday saw sororities compete for points against one another. AGD won the competition in a close battle with Sigma Sigma Sigma, which came in second place. Alpha Gamma Delta also won the optional pancake creation contest with an enormous, ornately decorated pancake.
Grand Rapids senior Erin Gavigan, philanthropy chairman for Sigma Alpha Epsilon responsible for setting up this year's Snowfest, said the event was a huge success.
"It was a great turnout as far as Greek Life support and participation," Gavigan said. "The energy was very inspiring and I was really proud of everyone."
The first event, held Feb. 14 in the Bovee University Center, took donations to make Valentine's Day cards for children in the Grand Rapid's Helen DeVos Hospital.
New to Snowfest this year was the Pancake Olympics, which took the place of last year's volleyball tournament.
"I think this year's Pancake Olympics was something to build on," Gavigan said. "It's more unique and meant more to us as a fraternity by creating our own event instead of something generic like a volleyball tournament. I think it's something that over time people will run with and it'll become more of a tradition of Snowfest."
Gavigan said he is extremely passionate about the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and the Children's Miracle Network, especially after volunteering at the hospital with the kids.
Snowfest was originally created by DeWayne Cook, an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, who currently works for Helen DeVos. He wanted to create something different than a pancake breakfast to raise money for charity. In the past, Snowfest was only held for two to three days, until last year when the event was expanded to its current week-long format.
Cook made an appearance at the Miss Minerva pageant that was held on Thursday, when he spoke for about five minutes before sharing a video explaining the work done by the Children's Miracle Network.
The support for Snowfest was prevalent throughout the Greek Community and especially on Facebook and Twitter where the hashtag #Snowfest was a permanent resident of many timelines.
Although this will be Gavigan's first and last Snowfest, he said he was happy and proud of how much Sigma Alpha Epsilon earned. The $2,741 the event brought in was between the goal of $2,000 to $3,000 the fraternity had hoped for.
"Thirty years from now, when I'm still getting emails as an alumni, I would be disappointed if Snowfest wasn't still happening," he said. "I want this to be an annual event for as long as we exist as a fraternity here, because it really makes a difference in these kids' lives"
