The Kappa Sigma fraternity held its signature fundraising event, Box-A-Thon, on the weekend of Nov. 4, raising over $3500 for Wichita Falls Faith Mission. The event is designed to raise both funds and awareness for homelessness in the greater Wichita Falls community, with an emphasis on helping local organizations.
Members of the fraternity manned all four corners of the intersection of Taft and Hampstead, holding up signs and calling out to passing cars to solicit donations. As an added measure of raising awareness, Kappa Sigma members camped out all weekend in cardboard boxes, risking the elements to provide a visual representation of the problem they hope to help.
Mass communication senior and Kappa Sigma philanthropy chair Logan Spikes was in charge of coordinating the event. He said Kappa Sigma works to man all four corners of the intersection for a total of about 20 hours.
“I put on every single one of our philanthropy events, and this being our major one of the year, my role in this is scheduling. We work on four corners and I schedule two people per corner per hour,” Spikes said.
Spikes added that in addition to the fundraising efforts, Kappa Sigma also conducts a concurrent food drive.
“After the three days that we’re here, we’ll collect all the money. We’ll compile it and donate it all to Faith Mission. Usually we pair it with a food drive as well, so afterwards we will probably use some of the money to get food, and we’ll donate the rest. And usually, about one or two truck beds of food,” Spikes said.
One challenge the group faced was inclement weather, as condensation collapsed part of the fraternity’s cardboard shelter.
Spikes said the temperature played a factor too.
“It is difficult because we do this time of year every year, and the weather will get a little rough at night. Last night it got down to about 45 and our guys had to bundle up,” Spikes said.
Box-A-Thon has caught on with other chapters of Kappa Sigma across the nation, drawing national attention to what has long been an MSU chapter tradition.
Spikes said the real appeal of the event is the opportunity for the fraternity members to work together.
“It’s a super fun process. It’s great because everybody gets together. This is a full-chapter involvement, so right now we’re sitting at almost 30 guys, so there will be 30 guys in and out of here at all times. And it’s just one of the times of year we all get together,” Spikes said, adding, “And it’s great because people spend three days with each other.”
