Delta Zeta's "Turtle Week" raises awareness and fund for multiple charities
Students were handed water guns filled with watered-down paint while sorority sisters in oversized, white Tee-shirts, stood on a tarp and were gunned down with the multicolored spray.
Central Michigan University's Delta Zeta chapter raised funds for charity last week with a series of events called "Turtle Week." The events included the creation of a human canvas, the use of a dunk tank, a Mr. Dz-irable pageant and a hotdog sale called "Hot Dogs for Hearing."
The Delta Zeta Turtle week kicked off Monday when students were told to create a "DZ masterpiece" on sorority members like Kelsey Kletke. She said participating in the event was cold, but fun and worth it.
"It's for a good cause, so you don't really notice how cold (the water) is," said Kletke, a Junior from Lansing. "(We) are just having fun with (our) friends."
Proceeds from the "Paint a DZ" event will go toward buying supplies for the Painted Turtle camp. The camp is for children suffering from serious medical conditions to vacation with their families.
Lindsey Dixon, Delta Zeta's philanthropy chair, said one of the week's main goals was expanding the sorority's outreach.
"This is our first year doing Turtle Week and these events altogether," the Montcalm junior said. "We are hoping to bring in a large community, all of CMU, instead of focusing on Greek life."
Funds raised during the other three events will be donated to the Starky Hearing Foundation, which gives digital hearing devices to children in need. In February, Delta Zeta's national chapter resolved to raise $5 million within the next five years for the foundation in an initiative called "Hike for Hearing."
"Overall, (Delta Zeta) supports speech and hearing," said Rachelle Kellogg, Delta Zeta president. "DZ is raising the bar and setting high standards for ourselves to we can meet our goals."
