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This page was last updated: July 3, 2009

Keeping the Reputation as Southern Gentlemen Alive Through Community Service.

At UNC Charlotte, some view joining Kappa Alpha Order as a way to make friends, meet girls, and party. Although that is a part of it, the bigger part of it is volunteering time through community service and holding fundraisers to help benefit charities and other organizations. Kappa Alpha Order of UNCC takes their philanthropy very seriously. They are known as the “Southern Gentlemen”, so to keep this reputation alive they have put many hours of hard work into organizing events to raise money for these charities and organizations.

At the National Leadership Institute in Austin, Texas, the Kappa Alpha Order (KA) chapter of UNCC were one of the three chapters recognized for their commitment to helping others. In addition, this chapter has won the Kappa Alpha Order Project Outreach Award for having the most community service hours per man on February 28th, and the Crimson Gift Century Society showed appreciation for their outstanding support of Operation Crimson gift the same day. By working together, they have volunteered many hours to Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross, raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which is the national philanthropy of KA, and participated in many other volunteer activities.

The KA’s did volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity by helping build houses. The Habitat for Humanity website describes their services as “a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry looking to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.” In order to help them accomplish some of this goal, the KA’s did work for them in January and February. They also have a bi-annual blood drive on campus for the American Red Cross. On March 16th they held Operation Crimson Gift by raising over 30 pints and promoted awareness of need for blood to save lives.

The KA’s participate annually in an event called the MDA Black and Blue Gala, which is a silent auction and gala to raise money. “I kind of set aside money that I know I can use to contribute to this event since I know it is an annual event,” says KA member Chuck Copper. Major contributors from KA were president Loyd Russing and vice-president Kyle Kirby, along with Chuck Copper, Ryan Collins, Matt Hoyle, Trike McKinnon, and Garrett Bedenbaugh. They also hold fundraiser every year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association called the MDA See-Saw-A-Thon. On a self-made see-saw (made out of wood and seats taken out of a car) each member had to spend at least two hours on the see-saw for 48 straight hours.

This event is a social activity, where not just the brothers attend but also friends of the brothers and some sorority members come out and support the cause. Food was provided by local restaurants, including Wild Wing Café, Topper’s Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, and Hungry Howie’s. Members Rob Clowers, Trike McKinnon, Loyd Russing, Aaron Pressley, and Shawn White helped with the food arrangements. “The see-saw event is a blast. A lot of students come out to show support and everyone just has a good time, all the while doing something that benefits others,” said Aaron Pressley, member of KA. The event was exciting enough to be captured around 1 a.m. by a newscaster from WBTV, who showed the fun and excitement that went on even into the wee hours of the night. In all the brothers raised almost 5,000 dollars for the organization.

Not only do they hold this fundraiser annually for MDA, they also sold t-shirts last spring promoting 49-er football to raise money. They sold over 500 t-shirts, enabling them to donate over 1,000 dollars to MDA. A year later, students can still be spotted wearing these t-shirts. Also, they participated in two different “lock-up” fundraisers in the area in the past year at the Hilton in South Park on Nov. 10th and the Marriot in Ballantyne on Dec. 9th that raised over $100,000. With the money they have raised for MDA, the have helped pay for wheelchairs, summer camps, and other essentials for children that suffer from MD.

In the fall of 2008, the chapter branched out from their regular volunteer services. They planted trees in remembrance of battered women, walked dogs for those who were unable, and helped clean local parks.

It takes much collaboration between members of the fraternity, the organizations they work with, students of UNCC, and the community. Habitat for Humanity and the Muscular Dystrophy Association have worked closely with this chapter of KA for some years now. As a result, they have been able to provide thousands of hours of community service to help those who are in need.

“It takes a lot for college students to find time outside of school, work, and other activities to give back to their local community, so when a group can get together and achieve goals like these together it is really great,” says Loyd Russing, president of Kappa Alpha Order, “as an organization, our goal and commitment is to help those less fortunate than we are; our reward is knowing that someone’s life is better off because we did so.

-Article by Megan Metcalf