Frat boys raise cash for disabled Montrealers

Concordia University’s Kappa Chi Chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity raised over $8,000 at their annual Teke-in-a-Box Charity Event.
The money was raised from March 26 to 29 and all proceeds were donated for the Action Centre. The Action Centre is a drop-in facility in Ville LaSalle for the physically disabled. It is primarily privately funded and would largely benefit from financial aid.
“We can certainly use their help,” said Action Centre Director Catherine Michaud, who explained that the facility needs additional funds for its operational budget and to increase its staff.
“Every year we raise more and more money,” said fraternity president Robert Kiricsi, noting that last year’s event did not generate quite as much money.
The Teke-in-a-Box Charity Event started in 1992. Every year since then, the members of the Kappa Chi Chapter occupy a makeshift shelter for 36 consecutive hours in front of Concordia’s Hall Building at the Sir George Williams Campus. While in front of the building, they solicit change from pedestrians to raise money for their chosen cause.
This year, with the help of Concordia staff and students, the fraternity brothers upheld their tradition of soliciting change on March 28 to 29, and even kicked off the event with a comedy show on March 26 in an attempt raise additional funds.
Big guns at show
The comedy show featured comedians from Ernie Butler’s Comedy Nest and was hosted by Global TV’s Jamie Orchard. Although Tuesday’s snowstorm affected the night’s turnout, tickets were still sold and donations were made, contributing funds for the Action Centre. Wednesday’s cold weather did not stop the fraternity brothers from carrying on with the event.
“It’s a very nice feeling to be able to help people,” said past fraternity president Adam Sopman, who accompanied the brothers this year, but did not sleep outside for the first time in three years.
According to Michaud, the Action Centre was founded in 1999 with the help of the McConnell Family Foundation and is the only bilingual resource of its kind on the island of Montreal. The facility’s mission is to promote the social integration of physically disabled adults into the community, while offering different educational, cultural and leisure activities to its members.
She added the centre recently moved to Dollard Street in Ville La Salle in January 2002 to better serve its clients. Consequently, the facility is currently facing new renovation costs in addition to its $150,000 annual operating budget. Additional workers are needed to care for the centre’s nearly 100 members. The staff currently consists of only two individuals, Michaud and a care attendant she hired.