Frats hope to raise $30,000 in charity hoops event

Tip-off time for Zeta Beta Tau and Phi Delta Theta's big game is only two weeks away. The two fraternities will be shooting for $30,000 for Philadelphia's homeless in their second annual "Shooting for a Cause: Hoops for the Homeless" basketball tournament. Adam Miller, executive director of Shooting for a Cause, said last night that beginning April 3, ZBT and Phi Delt will sponsor a series of parties, concerts and basketball games to raise money for two area homeless charities. The Philadelphia chapter of the Employment Project, an organization which helps the homeless secure permanent employment, and the Committee for Dignity and Fairness in Housing, which finds permanent housing for homeless people, will receive all of the money raised by the event, ZBT brother Miller said. These charities were chosen because "people are very adverse to temporary solutions, and both these organizations stress constructive, long-term answers to the problem of homelessness," said Miller. Homelessness was chosen as the focus for this year's drive "because the idea of shooting for a cause is to raise money and awareness of a social problem in Philadelphia," Miller said. Last year the cause chosen for the event was AIDS. Another main goal of Shooting for a Cause is Greek unity at the University and among all of the universities in the Philadelphia area, the College and Wharton senior said last night. "By displaying the power of the Greek system for good was an initial thrust of the event's creation," Miller said. "We feel by uniting the Greek systems of six universities, we have proven our assumptions." Miller said basketball teams from fraternities and sororities at Villanova, Temple, St. Joseph's and Drexel universities have already agreed to play. The main event of the weekend will be three separate basketball tournaments held at the Palestra and Hutchinson Gymnasium. Miller said he is hoping for a 32-team fraternity tournament, a 16-team sorority tournament and a smaller tournament for the event's corporate sponsors. To enter, a team, a fraternity or sorority must raise at least $200 for the campaign, and the corporate sponsors will have an entrance fee as well, said Miller. One of the other main attractions of the weekend will be an April 6 concert at the Palestra. Miller said Shooting for a Cause is trying to get "one large band or a few local bands" to play the show. Miller said they almost signed Living Colour, but "Vernon Reese [the band's guitar player] is getting married that weekend." Other events in the Shooting for a Cause include three parties at area bars and clubs, including Roxxi, Cavanaugh's and Smokey Joe's, to be held over the course of the four-day fest, Miller said. As with all events held over the weekend, all proceeds will go the charity. On April 4, Shooting for a Cause will take a more serious approach to fighting homelessness with a panel discussion on homelessness with local activists, officials and University experts, Miller said. He also said he hoped Mayor Wilson Goode would present the tournament's prizes. Miller said Shooting for a Cause will offset many of its expenses with corporate sponsors, including its primary sponsor, The Pep Boys. The campaign raised $20,000 last year, Miller said, adding he thinks it can raise $30,000 or more this year.

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