Watermelon or bust

Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity to raise funds for Brazos Valley Food Bank

By: Brooke Lein

Posted: 10/22/08

Lambda Chi Alpha will have its annual Watermelon Bust philanthropy event Thursday through Saturday in Spence Park.

Eight sororities will participate with the team or teams they have put together. The watermelon-themed event will feature the crowning of a watermelon patch queen and outdoor competitions.

"In 2005, Lambda Chi Alpha chapters nationwide were able to raise 3.135 million pounds of food that went to food banks across the United States," said member of Lamda Chi Alpha Cam Clinton, a sophomore general studies major. "Even though this number is not enough to help everyone who needs it, it does help many people from going hungry."

The Texas A&M chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha has chosen to donate all proceeds and collected food items to the Brazos Valley Food Bank to help the community surrounding Aggieland. This year, Brazos Valley Food Bank will use the donated goods to benefit Hurricane Ike victims.

"Lambda Chi Alpha wishes to contribute locally to the communities that harbor them every day of their college life," said Lambda Chi Alpha Watermelon Bust Chairman Eric Castro, a junior industrial distribution major. "In this way, Lambda Chi Alpha is able to give back to their neighbors the gift and benefit of service and caring."

Watermelon Bust is a series of competitions aimed at uniting student organizations at A&M and serving those less fortunate in the Brazos Valley area. The sororities competing in 2008's event are Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Gamma and Pi Beta Phi.

"We plan on expanding the event to other organizations outside of the Collegiate Panhellenic Council next year," said Lambda Chi Alpha President Marcus Ranallo, a junior accounting major.

Each year, teams compete in watermelon- themed activities and competitions.

The Queen of the Patch competition requires each team to choose a representative member that best represents the Watermelon Bust. The person selected dresses in a watermelon-themed costume designed by her teammates and is asked three questions by a panel of judges. The winner of the competition receives six free mystic tanning sessions from Tiki Tan.

The list of events includes a watermelon-eating contest, in which each team selects a representative who will eat a quarter of a watermelon as fast as they can, and a watermelon toss that involves each member of the team tossing a full-sized watermelon as far as they can.

Scoring for the event is based on a point system and each competition is scored by a panel of judges. First place receives 300 points, second place receives 280 points, third place receives 250 points, fourth place receives 220 points and fifth place receives 210 points. Additionally, the team that donates the most canned food items will receive a bonus of 1,000 points.

"Watermelon Bust is unique because it is obviously based around watermelons," Clinton said. "Also, although monetary donations are accepted, we ask the teams to collect the cans themselves so that everything they raise can go directly to an organization that will help those that are in need, as opposed to simply asking for money."

The overall winners of Watermelon Bust will receive trophies to take back to the chapter house. Castro said these trophies are highly desirable to competing sororities. Reigning Watermelon Bust champions are Gamma Phi Beta in first place and Alpha Chi Omega in second place.

The event will feature a spirit contest in which the team that exhibits the most enthusiasm and creativity will win bonus points, a gift pack from Aggieland Outfitters and a U-Paint It gift certificate.

"Some teams get really involved in the events because they really want to win," Clinton said. "Costumes and themes are definitely encouraged by the events and by the individual coaches of each team."

Castro said that once sororities experience Watermelon Bust, they want to participate every year and try to recruit more teams from their organization.

"Every year the team size has grown along with the number of teams participating," Castro said. "This is one of the only philanthropies on campus that you can get downright wet and dirty and still be supporting a good cause for the community."