Red Rock run raises funds
In addition to a morning run, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity also provided music, free food and drinks.
Published April 30, 2008
MU students tossing Frisbees and sipping sodas filled the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity parking lot Saturday as part of Red Rock, a daylong philanthropy beginning with a 5K run.
The name "Red Rock" comes straight from the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity history books.
"Forty years ago or so, a pledge class was told to find a big rock and bring it back to the house," fraternity president Afshin Hatami said. "We painted it red, one of our fraternity's colors."
Hatami said the event has grown over the years, and what started as a morning run grew into a daylong event complete with live music, free food and drinks and games open to the entire campus. Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe and Streetside Records were two sponsors that contributed to the event.
Fraternity member sophomore Rob Deleeuw helped to plan and publicize Red Rock, and said he felt the morning run had a pretty good turn out and the event went smoothly.
"In the past, we've always had some type of recruitment event in the spring, but this year we wanted to extend an invitation to the whole community to come spend time outside with games and music and free food," Deleeuw said.
Fraternity member freshman Nick Scodary helped to organize the morning run. Scodary said runners registered at 10:00 a.m. and paid to participate, which began at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house and moved through campus.
"Even though it was early on a Saturday, we still had a pretty good turn out for the run," Scodary said. More than 25 students participated in this year's event.
Scodary said Sigma Phi Epsilon raised money from run participants, T-shirt sales and donations. Proceeds went to the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Hatami said the fraternity's cook had breast cancer, so the cause is a personal one for them.
Fraternity member senior Brent Hensley set up a booth where he gave out free Mountain Dew products and helped run a raffle at the event. Hensley, who has an internship with Mountain Dew, said he and his partner set up stands at many campus events to promote the company's latest products. Hensley said this week's promotional product was Diet Mountain Dew, and many Red Rock attendees walked around with the drink in hand.
Throughout the day, bands jammed on a stage constructed along the side of the parking lot. One of those bands, "Pat Boones Farm," provided an upbeat blend of "garage pop" toward the end of the day.
Band member Keri Cousins said she and fellow band member Scott Walus agreed to play the event because their third member, Nate Furstenau, is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Red Rock attendee Alex Witt said lots of students visited Red Rock throughout the day.
"I know a lot of guys in the fraternity so I heard about the event that way, and a Facebook message was also sent out to a lot of students," Witt said. "The fraternity is still pretty new back on campus and it's also a good way to get their name out and do something for the community."
