Greek Week to aid Theta Chi member with cancer

Kayla Webley
2005-05-10
The Daily

Members of 51 fraternities and sororities belted out songs and spiked volleyballs yesterday to kick off Greek Week, an annualphilanthropic event.

Funds raised from this year's Greek Week will primarily go to the Kyle Charvat Fund, which will benefit a UW Theta Chi member battling brain cancer. Charvat's insurance declined to cover experimental treatment he is undergoing to fight the tumor; Greek Week funds will be added to the $75,000 already raised for the cause.

"We can benefit a member of our own community," said vice president for Greek Relations, Andrew Ondrak, one of the week's organizers. "Paying for treatment for a condition that is threatening his life is an important and worthy cause."

Friends of Ravenna Park, an association dedicated to renovating Ravenna Park, will also receive funds from the philanthropies.

"More than in previous years, this year we really wanted to impact the community we find ourselves in," said Ondrak. "Since we are a part of this community, we really should be aiding the local community as much as we can."

This year's event includes -- for the first time -- the United Greek Council (UGC), which represents "non-traditional, non-residential," fraternities and sororities' at the UW, said Shine Kim, president of UGC.

"We thought this was a great opportunity to all unite as Greeks," said Kim.

Ondrak said he hoped to promote a more "well-rounded" Greek community not just consisting of the structured houses.