Everyone will remember their favorite house elf this week as Alpha Tau Omega fraternity initiates a weeklong clothing philanthropy event titled Dobby Days.
The idea originated from the Harry Potter series where Harry’s friend Dobby craves freedom, but can only be a free elf when presented with an item of clothing. Now, ATO is requesting clothing items for philanthropy.
“Dobby Days is our attempt to pair with a local business in helping the Hillsdale community at large through a clothing drive,” junior Gage Pynaert said.
The thought of Dobby Days has been tossed around within ATO for a while, but this is the first year they took action. Senior Trenton Baer originally fashioned the idea, and Pynaert has taken control of the project. ATO even recruited alumnus Cory Flint to assist with designing the posters around campus.
In the past, ATO has focused on food drives or other philanthropies. However, with new personnel and new members, they have diversified their perspectives and ideas.
“We like to change what our philanthropies do,” senior Everett Ives said. “ATO includes every aspect of the community possible. Harry Potter provided a well-known theme.”
“You can see the direction [the philanthropy’s] coming from when you hear ‘Dobby,’” Ives said.
Tables will be set up in the Grewcock Student Union during lunch Wednesday through Friday for clothing donations. Additionally, many dormitories and Greek houses have donation boxes. The event will end with a thrift shop party in the Annex at ATO Friday night. Though there is no entry fee, donations are accepted.
Though this philanthropy follows directly after Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, Pynaert said it is not meant to be a slight.
“I think healthy competition in terms of philanthropy is a good thing, not a bad thing. At the end of the day, everyone’s raising money for a good cause,” Pynaert said. Both Pynaert and Ives support Derby Days, but are excited for their own version of it.
