By Katelin Paiz
Daily Titan Staff Writer

A windy day in November may have not been the best to display unrestrained cardboard collages meant to draw attention to the many philanthropic causes Cal State Fullerton’s Greek Life support, but it certainly made for a busy day.

Gamma Phi Beta hosted Thursday’s Philanthropy Fair in hopes that many of CSUF’s Greek organizations would show the student population what they really do.

“I think with all of the movies and the TV shows abut Greeks that are out there people definitely have a misconception about what the Greek system is about,” said Jennie Gelffroy, a member of Gamma Phi Beta.

“(The Philanthropy Fair) was a way to show the positive things we do and raise awareness for the philanthropies among the students,” Gelffroy said.

Gamma Phi Beta supports the national organization Camp Fire USA which offers enrichment programs to young girls, including summer camps and after school programs.

Also present at the Philanthropy Fair was Megan Dame of Alpha Chi Omega.

While chasing down one of her sorority’s many cardboard signs that seemed to constantly fly away in Thursday’s playful wind, Dame shared her sentiments about the fair.

“I feel like fraternities and sororities are very stereotyped, but it’s more than you think,” Dame said. “Each house helps out the community greatly.”

Alpha Chi Omega, a Panhellenic sorority, supports Women Against Domestic Violence.

Members usually go to the Women’s Transitional Center in Fullerton to play with children, help women and donate clothes and money, Dame said.

Perhaps the most showy of the groups present at the fair was Zeta Tau Alpha.

Their members covered their table in little pink ribbons meant to draw attention to their cause: breast cancer awareness.

In addition to participating in Pink Week and Race for the Cure, Zeta Tau Alpha works in conjunction with the NFL to support their cause.

“During the month of October (the NFL players) wore pink gloves, shoes and pink ribbons on their helmets,” said Chelsea Norrup, a Zeta Tau Alpha member.

The only fraternity to attend was Sigma Delta Alpha, which supports America on Track, a mentoring program for children of prisoners.

“Children of prisoners are the most likely to follow the same path as their parents and what (we) mentors try to do is to put them on the right track,” said Brittany Contreras, the president of CSUF’s America on Track program.

In conjunction with Sigma Delta Alpha, America on Track has been successful in keeping many children out of trouble, Contreras said.

Erin Webster from Alpha Delta Pi, another sorority involved in the fair, said that for over 20 years her sorority has raised the most money for its philanthropy, Ronald McDonald House Charities, than any other Panhellenic sorority or Interfaternity Council fraternity.

Webster described the Ronald McDonald House as a “home away from home away from home for terminally ill children,” she said.

Webster said, “In addition to supporting them financially, we go there at least once a month to cook dinner for the families and bring gifts and stuff for the kids.”

Like many of her fellow Greeks, Webster made it clear that sororities are meant for more than just socializing.

“We do more than what the stereotype is,” Webster said. “I got involved in a sorority to get involved on campus and in the community.”