The Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity hosted its first Hunger Banquet in the Price Center Ballroom on Thursday night to ask for the support of the Jewish community outside UCSD.
Fighting hunger: Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) speaks via video message Feb. 7 at Alpha Epsilon Pi’s banquet in the Price Center.Guardian
Last week, the fraternity sponsored the Hunger Relief campaign on campus, which included a 56-hour bike-a-thon.
The combined effort of both events raised money for Mazon, an organization that allocates donations from the Jewish community to nonprofit organizations providing food and help to hungry people of all faiths and backgrounds.
This year, the banquet and the bike-a-thon raised about $7,000, more than double what the fraternity raised last year.
The semi-formal banquet included a kosher catered dinner and several speakers, with addresses by California State Sen. Dede Alpert and U.S. Congresswoman Susan Davis.
About 75 people attended the event. Tickets were $65 for adults and $40 for children. All of the proceeds benefited Mazon.
Davis, who spoke via video message, said that the fraternity’s efforts have dual importance.
“”Not only are you raising money, but you are also sending a message of compassion and action to others,”” she said.
Alpha Epsilon Pi President Lance Miller echoed her sentiments.
“”More than the money [we raise], how we get things done and the awareness it provides is just as — if not more — important,”” he said. “”For four days the center of UCSD is focused on philanthropy and charity.””
A highlight of the evening was when San Diego Jewish Heritage editor Don Harrison presented the fraternity with a check for $5,000 on behalf of an elderly Jewish couple who are Holocaust survivors.
According to Harrison, the couple wanted to make sure that no one feels the pains of hunger as they had.
The donated money will be combined with the funds raised by the fraternity and donated in full to Mazon.
In her address, Alpert complimented the fraternity’s efforts and stressed the lack of contributions to local food banks since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The focal point of the fund-raising activities was the 56-hour bike-a-thon for hunger relief.
The fraternity had a booth on Library Walk with a stationary bicycle. Members of the fraternity switched off riding the bike at all times for the three-day event.
The event started at 8 a.m. Wednesday and finished at 5 p.m. Friday.
About 130 people rode the bike over three days. Most of the fraternity members put one hour in, and a couple rode for two.
They sold raffle tickets for prizes donated by the community. They also sold donated pizza, doughnuts and soda.
The goal of the bike-a-thon was to promote campus awareness of hunger problems across the world.
By being visible and active on campus, the fraternity hoped to make people stop and think about hunger and what they could do to help.
Meyers said the biggest challenge the bike-a-thon faced was trying to turn people’s reactions from skepticism to awareness.
“”People walk by and don’t take us seriously, thinking it’s pointless and random,”” Meyers said.
“”We really want people to just stop and think about why we are here because there are an infinite number of causes, but hunger is a universal problem,”” he said
The fraternity also wanted to create a positive image for Greek organizations on campus.
“”We are a fraternity, and most people don’t think fraternities do anything good,”” Meyers said. “”But we are trying to change that stereotype.””
The fraternity also got support from several sororities that came out at night, taking shifts on the bike and bringing cookies.
There were at least three people awake at all times. Meyers said that at night, “”the only sound was the sound of the bike, which was kind of surreal.””
This is the third year the fraternity has held the biking marathon on campus. It started a few years ago when David Altman rode his bike across the country to raise awareness of hunger in the world.
That year, the fraternity organized the first campus event to coincide with his arrival in San Diego, and it has been held every year since.
