Philanthropy: a love of mankind
Philanthropic involvement has been a central part of Greek life at Kansas State, extending the impact of fraternities and sororities beyond their walls and into the rest of the world. From fundraising events to hands-on service projects, Greek organizations have consistenly dedicated time and effort to supporting local and national philanthropies. As highlighted in a 1986 K-State Greek article titled "Philanthropy: A Love of Mankind," chapters regularly organized events, partnered with community organizations, and volunteered their time to make a positive difference. These efforts highlight how philanthropy has remained a defining part of Greek life at K-State.
Early Contributions
By the late 1910s, fraternities and sororities at K.S.A.C. had become well established and ready to give back beyond the campus. As the influenza pandemic began affecting the university and the surrounding the community, Greek organizations began stepping up to help those in need. The first recorded example of Greek philanthropic activity at K-State dates back to 1918, when chapters donated food, clothing, and other supplies to influenza patients in the Manhattan community. These early efforts marked the beginning of a long tradition of service and philanthropy that continues to be prevalent in Greek life at Kansas State today.
All Greek Service Days
While each fraternity and sorority supports its own philanthropy, the Greek community at K-State has also come together over the years to host all Greek days of service. These have mainly been organized by the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council. These service days have become an important part of Greek life and a shared way for students in the Greek community to give back. Often held alongside week long events like Homecoming and Greek Week, these days of service give chapters the opportunity to work together on projects that benefit the Manhattan community.
Photo of a Greek service day from the 1958-1959 K-State Fraternities Magazine
Photo of Greek students participating in the 2002 Fall service day, courtesy of the fall 2002 Greek Affairs Newsletter, NewsGreek
Notable Contributions
Adopt-A-School
Photo from the fall 1999 NewsGreek
Fiji Run for Leukemia
Photo from the 2017 Run for Leukemia courtesy of the Phi Gamma Delta website
Theta WildKat Chase
Photo from the Kappa Alpha Theta Instagram of the first WildKat chase that was hosted in 1996
The Adopt-a-school program became one of the most meaningful way Kansas State Greek life connected with the Manhattan community. Through the program, members of fraternities and sororities volunteered just one hour a week to work one-on-one with local elementary students. They would work with the students on reading, math, science, or simply spending time with the student and acting as a positive role model in their life. This program had dozens of Greek volunteers and multiple Manhattan elementary schools involved. This program was an extremely rewarding way for the Greek community to give back while also offering extra encouragement to elementary students.
The Fiji Run for Leukemia began in 1974 after one of their members, Rod Morgan was diagnosed with leukemia. Rather than creating a static memorial, the K-State chapter chose to honor him through action by establishing an annual philanthropy event. Each year prior to the K-State/KU football game, members of the K-State and KU Fiji chapters would run a football from Manhattan or Lawrence to the game sight. This event raised awareness and donations through a friendly competition between the two chapters. Over the decades of the event being held, over $500,000 was raised for the Riley County Leukemia Society.
Kappa Alpha Theta's WildKat Chase is a longstanding philanthropic tradition at Kansas State University. The event is a 5K run and walk that has been hosted for more than 25 years. The funds raised from this event benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). The Theta chapter's contributions helps support advocacy for abused and neglected children through both monetary donations as well as attending CASA board meetings, providng blankets and calming kits, and volunteering as needed. Their enduring committment has allowed CASA to serve an additional 10 children each year. Theta's philanthropic achievement earned them recognition in 2019 as a finalist for the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation's Civic Philanthropy Award.
Substanital Impact
In 2002, the fraternities and sororities at Kansas State University made a considerable impact through their philanthropic efforts. The Greek community donated over $217,000, as well as clothes and food items to various organizations. In addition to this the Greek community also donated over 5000 community service hours in the fall semester alone.
The K-State Greek community continues to make strides in philanthropic achievement, in the 2024-2025 school year, fraternities and sororities raised over $319,000 and donated over 41,000 hours of community service. Over the years, Greek life has made considerable contributions to organizations such as the Flinthills Breadbasket, Manhattan Emergency Center, Manhattan Sunset Zoo, St. Jude's, and the American Red Cross. What began as students lending a helping hand during the Influenza pandemic has grown into one of the strongest and most enduring philanthropic forces on campus.
