Clips for Cancer, a fundraising effort by the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, shattered the record for funds raised by a student-run philanthropy event last week, raising more than $5,600 for Students Against Cancer.
On Friday, Oct. 2 the event ended on the quad with 26 shaved ATOs and one shaved dean of men.
“I was moved by the personal testimony of a cancer survivor followed by the symbolic lap around the quad by the survivors and those who put on the event,” Hillsdale College Dean of Men Aaron Peterson said.
Clips for Cancer, a part of Relay for Life, drew a sizable crowd to watch the ATOs and Peterson shave their heads. Some donors even helped cut participants’ hair.
“I wanted to get someone who everyone would know, so I went up to Dean Pete’s office and asked him and with no hesitation he said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” said senior Tyler Warman, the philanthropy chair of ATO.
The ATOs kicked off their fundraising campaign with a phone-a-thon three weeks ago, in which they contacted their families, ATO alumni, and faculty. Everyone seemed very impressed with what they were doing which prompted them to be very generous.
“I believe that the Clips for Cancer campaign was a very well-organized and supported event that connected students and alumni with an opportunity to give back to the people who have been affected by cancer of any kind,” said junior Luke Bennett, an ATO who shaved his head. “We shaved our heads as a representation of our support for those with cancer.”
In addition to the phone-a-thon, the ATOs collected money during lunches in the Grewcock Student Union from behind a table throughout the week and encouraged online donations through their GoFundMe campaign.
Donor participation for the campaign was high: the vast majority of donations totaling $5,600 were $125 and under. According to Warman, the biggest donation was $500, given by an anonymous donor who greatly appreciated what the ATOs were doing. Approximately $2,000 was raised in the last three days of the fundraiser alone.
GoFundMe will send a check to the chapter once all of the donations are in this week, and then ATO will send it to Students Against Cancer. Besides the 8 percent GoFundMe removes from all money raised through its website, all of the proceeds will go to benefit those battling cancer.
ATO president Jeremy Filar, senior, said although some brothers were unhappy about shaving their heads at first, everyone supported it eventually.
During their last Clips for Cancer in 2013, the ATOs raised $3,500, and Warman said he hopes the chapter continues doing the philanthropy project in the future.
“I think the young guys,” Warman said, “experienced the whole thing and were hyped about it.”
