In a tribute for an outstanding commitment to community service, the Rensselaer Alumni Association (RAA) will recognize Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity with its Community Service Award for Greek Life tonight — Tuesday, Oct. 21 — at center ice during the first intermission of the Rensselaer vs. UMASS hockey game.

Members of Lambda Chi Alpha have spent over 3,500 hours in community service and in philanthropic activities over the past year. Their activities included: organizing a food drive to benefit the Unity House of Troy; participating in volunteer activities at School 14 in Troy, ranging from mentoring students to helping support the school’s “Back to School Night” for parents and students; and coordinating a “rock-a-thon” — 36-hours of continuous rocking in chairs — to raise money for the North American Food Drive, the Unity House of Troy’s Abuse Counseling Program, and the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation for Juvenile Diabetes.

During last year’s one-day local food drive, Lambda Chi Alpha was able to collect approximately 1,300 pounds of food. Their fundraising efforts throughout the year, from events such as Watermelon Bash, where student organizations, Greek and non-Greek alike, compete in watermelon-themed competition, raised nearly $1,000 for the same cause, an amount equaling a donation of approximately 10,000 pounds of food to the Unity House of Troy in conjunction with the Albany Food Bank in time for Thanksgiving.  Over the last 10 years, the fraternity has collected and donated over 110,000 pounds of food to charitable organizations in the local community. 

Lambda Chi Alpha members also have volunteered extensively on the Rensselaer campus, participating in the Institute’s annual “Relay for Life” event, and sponsoring multiple Red Cross blood drives. Additionally, the fraternity hosts dinners throughout the year to thank members of the Rensselaer community — including faculty, staff, deans, and even President Jackson and members of her cabinet — who have helped them achieve success both on campus and off. 

The Community Service for Greek Life award includes a plaque and $500 donation made to the charity of the winning organization’s choice. Lambda Chi Alpha has pledged the money to Rebecca Feig, assistant dean in the Office of the First Year Experience at Rensselaer, who will be participating in a half-marathon in January with Team in Training to support leukemia and lymphoma research.

“I can’t express in words how grateful I am to have the support of Lambda Chi Alpha,” said Feig. “Meeting the pledge goal I had set for myself seemed unreachable at times, but now, thanks to this generous gift, it is within reach. I am incredibly appreciative.”

Created by the RAA Board of Trustees in 2006, the RAA Community Service Award for Greek Life is designed to recognize a fraternity or sorority involved in service and activities that have a significant positive impact on the community. Community service plays an integral role in Greek life at Rensselaer.  Rensselaer is home to 37 fraternities and sororities who participate in various community service projects that benefit the local community. Each year, Greek life members spend more than 15,000 hours volunteering and donate more than $50,000 to local charities in the Troy community.

Contact: Amber Cleveland
Phone: (518) 276-2146
E-mail: clevea@rpi.edu