Pi Kappa Alpha raises money for firefighters

In a display of community spirit, the fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha, or Pike, at Utah State University rallied to raise $12,000 in one week for the Firefighter Support Foundation.

Mason Reed, external VP for USU’s Pike chapter, put that number into perspective.

“We ended up raising 12 grand, which is three times what we’ve ever done,” Reed said. “That’s usually the amount we raise for the whole year.”

Fundraising efforts were spearheaded by the fraternity’s members, who planned various events such as Bingo Night, Pike Carnival and Magic Pike to raise money.

Pike organizes fundraisers throughout the year, typically for Primary Children’s Hospital, often in conjunction with USU’s Aggiethon.

According to Van Switzer, current president of the chapter, they don’t see where the money raised for Primary Children’s goes, so choosing a local foundation had a special impact.

“Being able to give it to a local fire department where we know the guys there and getting to meet who we were helping also helped motivate everyone,” Switzer said.

Switzer said they donated to the foundation as opposed to going through Logan City to ensure the money raised would go straight to the fire department.

According to Reed, money raised through the city is often divided among different agencies. Because Pike raised money for the foundation, “the money donated goes to anything the city won’t cover for the fire department,” Reed said.

The funds will directly support the department’s ongoing operations and resources for firefighters.

The foundation webpage says, “We inspire citizens and businesses to unite in a crucial response to support local firefighters’ mental health and wellness through generous donations of time and money.”

According to Switzer, this includes funding for training events, social gatherings, fitness classes and mental health resources.

“The city can only do so much,” Reed said.

Pike made an effort to utilize campus resources and engage both USU’s student population and the Cache Valley community at large.

“We used a lot of crowdsourcing,” Switzer said. “Reaching out to families and being out on the Quad.”

They specifically reached out to campus sororities to contribute and help raise funds.

“The whole plan was to get sororities involved, the girls on campus,” Reed said. “It gives them something on their resume. It’s big for business majors especially.”

Reed wants to build on their success and continue to connect with campus and the community for future fundraising efforts.

“We want to try to make ourselves more known on campus, maybe get the crowds we don’t usually get around the house,” Reed said. “We want more community support too, and that’s something we’re going to strive for next year.”

Pike hopes to do more fundraising for the foundation in the future.

“I know the fire department didn’t really know what to expect, but now they do and are super excited for next year to see how we’re able to get the community involved,” Reed said. “I think we could double what we did this year with that type of support.”

To donate directly to the foundation, visit firefight.support/foundation.