Frat 'Mad 4' money raising

While most students were studying Wednesday night, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was partying the night away and raising thousands of dollars for the Delaware chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. More than 100 Penn students crowded into Mad 4 Mex for the event, called "Pack Your Bags 2000." Money was raised for the charity through a $5 door fee and $3 raffle tickets. The fraternity-sponsored event was aptly named, given the grand prize of the raffle drawing: a weekend trip for two to Manhattan, including limousine service from Penn to Manhattan, a two-night stay at a Midtown hotel, dinner for two and 5 fifth-row tickets to Rent. Pi Kap brother Jared Simon, a Wharton junior, organized the evening and called it "an overwhelming success." "I was in a state of euphoria the whole night," he said. "We brought in nearly $2,500 in ticket sales and are expecting an additional donation from TheSquare.com based upon the number of new members we help them acquire." TheSquare.com is a Web site meant to bring together students from Ivy League and other top schools. Simon originated the fundraiser idea and headed the planning effort. He chose the cause because his youngest brother has Cystic Fibrosis. The genetic disease affects about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. An additional 10 million Americans carry the defective gene but do not have any symptoms. Attendees said they appreciated the charitable cause of the event. "It's awesome that students at Penn are raising money for charities," said Josh Rosenberg, a 1996 alumnus, who is currently an intern at Northwestern's Memorial Hospital. "It shows that people are raising awareness about what strides still need to be made in medical research," College freshman Sarah Lux said. The event was Pi Kappa Phi's first philanthropic event since the chapter's founding seven years ago. "Jared [Simon] pioneered this," Pi Kappa Phi chapter president and College junior Matt Kraus said. "He really did a lot." "The whole brotherhood has rallied behind me, and I really appreciate that -- it's awesome," Simon said. "I'm really proud of everyone. We hope to bring it back next year, making the event bigger and better." STA Travel and TheSquare.com paid for the overhead costs and the grand prize, worth $1,350. All proceeds from the event are going toward funding research of the disease and research facilities.