The Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) fraternity reeled in $2,450 for the Children's Hospital Boston after last week's fundraising campaign, during which brothers rolled a giant beach ball around campus, collecting signatures on the six-foot-tall sphere.
The fraternity kicked off the fundraiser last Sunday at the Granoff Family Hillel Center. University President Lawrence Bacow, a ZBT alum, attended the Hillel gathering and was the first to pen his name on the ball. Brothers went on to collect over 1,200 signatures, according to ZBT Vice President Daniel Ebin, a junior.
Hillel, the Office for Campus Life, Hillside Wine and Spirits and other donors contributed money to the fraternity's efforts.
Despite the "quizzical looks" that the ball-bearing brothers attracted, Ebin said that they enjoyed themselves.
"Rolling a giant six-foot beach ball around campus for a week is a good time," he said.
Ebin added that it was a good way to combat stereotypes and demonstrate the fraternity's philanthropic agenda.
"It definitely raised awareness for [the] events and philanthropic activities of ZBT as well as the Greek community," he said. "I know numerous people came up to us when we were rolling the ball and said, ‘I thought you guys only have parties.'"
The fundraiser culminated at Friday's fraternity and sorority block party, which brought together all campus Greek organizations, students and local Medford and Somerville residents.
Ebin said that brothers did not collect many signatures during the concluding event. "By then, pretty much everybody had [already] signed the ball," he said.
