Beta Hosts Move Out Clothing Drive

 

Emory fraternity Beta Theta Pi (Beta) will be hosting their first annual Move Out Clothing Drive this week. The drive, which aims to collect students' unwanted or unused clothing at the end of the year, will continue until May 1. All clothes will be donated to Charity Clothing Pickup (CCP), a local branch of a national organization that benefits local charities.

Each on-campus residence hall as well as each participating fraternities and sororities will receive labeled boxes in which residents can donate any washed clothing that they no longer want. Beta hopes to expand the drive to Clairmont campus next year if the event is successful.

Beta brothers will be collecting the boxes on May 1. On May 2, CCP will come to campus and collect the donations.

The idea for the drive came from B-school sophomore and Beta Interfraternity Council (IFC) representative Chris Diglio.

"I was busy folding laundry, and it suddenly hit me," Diglio said. "I remembered the end of freshman year when I was sorting through old t-shirts and throwing out a bunch of clothing I didn't need anymore. I thought, wow – we could definitely get a clothing drive together for the homeless or something, rather than just throwing all our old clothes out."

Diglio has organized and overseen all aspects of the drive with the help of Beta treasurer and B-school sophomore Griffin Sears, who has aided with marketing and securing funding for the event.

"Typically, fraternity and sorority philanthropy events ask students to provide some sort of monetary donation to support their cause," Sears said. "This event is unique as we only ask students to donate items which are unwanted by them in the first place."

Diglio hopes that the timing of the drive will bring in a large amount of donations.

"Students get rid of their unwanted clothing, and people in need receive the proper aid," he said. "Everyone wins."

There's also an added incentive for those who participate: the residence hall, fraternity or sorority with the largest donation will get their choice of either a dinner catered by Chipotle or a catered dessert by Yogli Mogli. The second place winner will receive the prize that the first place winners do not choose.

Prizes will be announced and awarded on May 2.

Diglio said he hopes the drive will engage students with charity work, even in a time when finals and term papers seem to be the most important thing on everyone's mind.

"Sometimes we get so caught up in our social and academic lives that we forget that we have an obligation as people to help others in need," he said. "I hope this drive reminds us that the Emory community can accomplish great things when we all band together."

–By Jenna Kingsley

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