Delta Gamma sorority and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity hosted a philanthropy event on Friday to support Penn State’s Opportunity Network for Employment (ONE) program — an organization that helps disabled people explore employment opportunities.

The two greek groups worked together to organize their second annual cornhole tournament — a game where players throw bean bags into cut-out sections of a platform for various points — and all funds went directly to ONE.

Pi Kappa Alpha philanthropy chairman Eric Makinen (sophomore-political science), said the event is especially personal to his fraternity because one of its alumni had a mental disability and committed suicide in January of 2005.

Marianne Karwacki, coordinator of the ONE program at Penn State, reached out to the members of Delta Gamma when she learned that part of their mission was helping people with disabilities.

“The girls have been wonderful,” Karwacki said, “And it’s great to see so many students giving their time and energy.”

As of last Monday night, there was no one signed up to participate in the tournament, and Rachel Kramm, one of the event’s organizers, was worried.

 But Kramm (sophomore-communication sciences and disorders and human development and family studies) said everything came through last Tuesday morning.

“This is more than I expected. I’m so happy and relieved,” Kramm said.

Kramm said it was nice to see a variety of fraternities and sororities represented at the philanthropy event.

“We will definitely reciprocate with [participation in] theirs,” she said.

The teams participating in the “corny tourney” were battling for first place and a chance to win two footballs autographed by Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.

Bridget Beauchamp, a competitor in the tournament, said she really wanted to win the signed footballs, but she lost in the second round.

“I liked it until I got out,” Beauchamp (sophomore-community environment development) said. “But I still had fun.”

But it wasn’t just the prizes that made the event better.

Regina Noonan, another Delta Gamma member who helped spearhead the event, said the members of Pi Kappa Alpha were a big part of the philanthropy’s success.

As they provided the food and location, Noonan said she couldn’t have done it without them.

“The boys were really cooperative with everything, which helped make this happen,” Noonan (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies) said.

With a large turnout this year, Kramm said everyone looked like they were enjoying the tournament — something that will hopefully make the event even bigger next year. 

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