“Our fraternity should be about more than just ourselves. We should be benefiting our entire community and helping people that we don’t know and will never meet,” said Brother Adam Shafer, a sophomore at the University of Colorado.
Brother Shafer, along with his philanthropy co-chair, Jacob Oligschlaeger, recently organized the “Bubble Bowl” to raise money for AEPi’s Repair the World Fund. The Five on Five soccer tournament with players in giant inflatable balls brought out more than 100 people and, in total, raised more than $6,000.
“Jacob and I sat down with our committee and we decided we wanted to do something to bring people on campus and in the community together and we decided that everyone loves to run into each other with big inflatable balls so this was a great idea.”
“Our AEPi team ended up losing in the finals but we all had fun and raised money and awareness for our important causes.”
In addition to raising money for the Repair the World Fund, the event also allowed spectators and participants to register for The Gift of Life program, a public bone marrow registry helping children and adults find donors for bone marrow transplants.
Joining AEPi was a natural for Adam. “I knew a lot of guys from my hometown in Denver who were already brothers. I knew that I wanted to maintain a Jewish identity while in college and AEPi has helped me do that while still getting me involved in the larger community around campus.”
Getting involved in the fraternity’s philanthropy project has been the first step in chapter and campus leadership. “Jacob and I wanted to do something that would make a difference in people’s lives. There’s a strong Jewish value of helping people who don’t even know who you are. We are supposed to do this because it is the right thing for us and the world around us.”
For more information on AEPi’s Repair the World Fund, visit http://www.aepigivesback.org