Business fraternity grows beards for NHL charity

As the semester winds down and warmer weather arrives, one fraternity is facing the warmth by growing beards for charity.

Business Fraternity Delta Sigma Pi is participating in the National Hockey League's playoff Beard-a-thon for charity, said Jim Kuhn, president of the Xi Upsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Pi.

"It is a little hot for a beard, and at some events, it may look a little unprofessional," Kuhn said. "But, as I said, it's a fun way to help a worthy cause."

Kuhn said players grow out beards until they are eliminated from the playoffs or win the Stanley Cup, and the Beard-a-thon allows fans to either sponsor athletes or participate themselves.

The fraternity is specifically supporting the Pittsburgh Penguins and their charity, The Mario Lemieux Foundation, which benefits cancer and neonatal research and builds playrooms in hospitals, according to the organization's Web site.

"We decided that we would set up our account with the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Marshall's proximity to Pittsburgh and because of the somewhat large Penguins following here in the area," Kuhn said.

Female members of the fraternity and those who do not wish to participate are supporting the Beard-a-thon by fundraising, Kuhn said.

The fraternity has more female members than male members, which goes against popular perception of business fraternities, said Lashawna Sampson, president-elect of the Xi Upsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Pi.

"The unique thing is that there are about three ladies who are from different countries so they, along with the other members, bring a lot to the table," Sampson said.

Sampson said the fraternity has doubled in size in the past year.

"I know with this new group that we have now along with some of the old members, we are destined to be a great fraternity and hopefully others will see that as well," Sampson said.

Sampson said the larger number of active members makes more fundraisers like the Beard-a-thon likely in the future.

"Numbers make a big difference in an organization when it comes to pulling off successful events," Sampson said. "We've had quite a few successful events, but with the few people we had it took a lot out of us."

Kuhn said the Marshall community can support the fraternity by going to www.beardathon.com/Penguins, clicking on the "pledge a friend" link and selecting Delta Sigma Pi Xi Upsilon Chapter as the friend.

Erin Shaver can be contacted at shaver29@marshall.edu.