Penn State NPHC flag football game raises money for Haiti

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) kicked off a semester-long initiative to aid Haiti relief efforts on Saturday with a flag football event.

Though the frozen ground was crunching under their feet, 10 teams played in the tournament. All proceeds benefited Haiti relief efforts after the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Participants gathered on the frozen HUB-Robeson Center lawn to learn the rules of the tournament, with teams playing four rounds. The first was 10 minutes long and increased by five as the teams made it through each round. The objective was to score as many points and have as much fun as possible.

In the end, the Outlaws, a team put together by Iota Phi Theta fraternity, won the tournament and the trophy that went with it.

Shadiyah Haines, NPHC president, wanted to put together a fundraiser to help earthquake victims in Haiti and decided to use Penn State’s passion for football to her advantage.

“We wanted to think of an innovative way to involve the community and everyone loves football,” Haines (senior-industrial engineering) said. “It is cold, but everyone’s here laughing and it’s a good atmosphere. They’re here to have fun.”

While the teams were mostly from sororities and fraternities, Penn State’s own Project Haiti club put together a team called “Haitian Sensation” and joined the tournament.

All four greek councils were present at the event, whether they were playing or showing their support by cheering on the teams.

Jordan Ward, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., came to watch her team play. She said she was excited that NPHC put the event together so quickly.

“I am so excited with the turnout, considering this is the first time NPHC has done something like this,” Ward (senior-broadcast journalism) said. “It’s something different, something we haven’t seen before.”

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) also entered a team consisting of executive board members, including IFC President Max Wendkos.

“I’m happy to see that they took such immediate action addressing this issue,” Wendkos said. “I’m excited that we have an opportunity for IFC to give back to one of the other greek governing bodies.”

Dan Florencio, IFC executive vice president, had the idea for the team, Wendkos said.

“The tragedy in Haiti happened so recently, to see everyone come together like this is really good, especially in the 15 degree weather,” Florencio (junior-philosophy) said. “IFC is really happy about it.”

As the games finished up, participants like Stan Daniels realized what the event was all about.

“Whether you win or lose, we’re doing this for Haiti,” Daniels (freshman-landscape architecture) said. “We’re supporting them, even it’s just playing football. It’s the little things that count.”