Pi Kappa Phi had a significant impact on the annual Purdue University Dance Marathon despite it having to be virtual.
The annual event was for 12 consecutive hours on Nov. 7, raised $771,158.23 for the Riley Hospital for Children to support pediatric life-saving treatments and research. PUDM and Riley Hospital are part of a national Children’s Miracle Network which raises funds for children hospitals in the United States and Canada.
“This was anything but a normal year, but we didn’t look at the challenges as restrictions, but as an opportunity to do something others had not done before,” said Campbell Boston, Riley relations executive. “At the end of the day, the kids at Riley still need our help and we still have a job to do.”
Pi Kappa Phi had three members among PUDM’s top 23 leadership positions – Boston, Kyle Jensen, merchandise executive and Nolan Gonzalez, fraternity, sorority and cooperatives outreach chairman. The three were among 40 other chapter members who participated in the annual marathon by raising money and participating virtually. There were more than 900 students registered for PUDM this year.
Collectively Pi Kappa Phi members raised $10,107.
The annual PUDM event honors three former students who were treated at Riley, but lost their battles to cancer. One of the three is Pi Kappa Phi’s own David Feltner, who died in 2011 as an undergraduate chapter member.
“It was great to see the Pi Kappa Phi participation levels to support PUDM that is so close to our hearts and our chapter,” Boston said.” Being part of an event that is dedicated to our fraternity brother makes it bigger than just ourselves. I’m proud to participate in an organization that provides so much hope while honoring the memory of brother Feltner each year.”
