Fraternities, sororities raise more than $11,100 for Clemson Student Memorial

Published: January 26, 2012

By Aliza Darnell

CLEMSON — Clemson University’s fraternity and sorority community will present a check for more than $11,100 to the Student Memorial Project Committee at halftime of the noon basketball game against Wake Forest Saturday, Jan. 28, at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The fraternity and sorority community raised the money in the third annual Clemson Student Memorial 5K that took place Oct. 23, setting a new record and more than doubling the amount of money raised in the previous year.

The Student Memorial Project is an ongoing student initiative to bring an All Faiths Chapel and Student Memorial Garden to Clemson’s campus. The Student Memorial will be a place to reflect, mediate, pray and remember students who died prior to graduation.

“This incredible donation from the fraternity and sorority community is representative of how much the student body truly believes in this project. It is evident through the continued support that this is a project which has really struck home with many of our students,” said Tyler Smith, chairman of the Student Memorial Project Committee.

The fraternity and sorority community decided to support the cause in 2007 after losing three students in one semester. Since this time, three races have collectively raised more than $24,000.

This year students ran to honor the memory of the five Clemson students who died since the last race.

The Clinton family, running in memory of student John Clinton, who died in the summer of 2011, was integral to the success of the race.

“The spirit and awareness for the cause that the Clintons brought to the race this year was incredible,” said Janey Tupper, former president of the Greek Programming Board.

The Student Memorial Project Committee also found support for this cause from the undergraduate student body beyond the fraternity and sorority community.

“With this donation, the project has now raised more than $200,000 from student-led fundraising,” Smith said.

The next Student Memorial 5K will take place in the fall of 2012. For more information about the Student Memorial Project or to donate to the cause, visit http://www.CuChapel.org.

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