The Theta-Nu chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity at Southeastern organized a fundraiser called “Prisoners for a Cure” in order to raise money for Camille Fry, a 16-year old high school student from Denham Springs, La., who was diagnosed with brain cancer.
The members of Tau Kappa Epsilon began collecting money in the Student Union on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 27, and stayed all night, not leaving until around 3 p.m. the next day.
“We broke the jail cell in the Union and shook hands asking for money from students and faculty,” said Danny Butler, senior at Southeastern and president of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
The “jail cell” that Butler referred to is a homemade establishment in which the members stand, adding a lighthearted element to “Prisoners for a Cure.”
An alumnus of Tau Kappa Epsilon suggested the idea of raising money for Fry, who is known to the fraternity through another alumnus, at the beginning of the semester. However, this is not the first time the fraternity has convened to raise money for a local person in need of assistance.
“It started out as ‘Prisoners for Cancer,'” said Butler. “We did it for Dylan Davis (of Avondale), who passed away, and we did it to raise money for a scholarship in his name. After that got endowed, we changed the name to ‘Prisoners for a Cure,’ and we do it for any local person we know who has a disease or needs help. Last year, we raised money for a little girl who needed surgery on her eyes so she could see.”
According to the National Cancer Institute’s Web site, www.cancer.gov, about 22,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with primary brain cancers each year.
Although Tau Kappa Epsilon is expecting to have collected a lesser amount of money this year than in years past, Butler maintains an optimistic and understanding attitude.
“We don’t know how much we raised yet, but we’re expecting somewhere in between $500 and $1,000,” said Butler. “In the past we’ve raised more, but it’s a tough economy right now.”
More information on Tau Kappa Epsilon’s national organization can be found by visiting the Web site, www.tke.org.