Grab your gloves, buy your peanuts and Cracker Jacks and make your way out to the ballpark.The ladies of Chi Omega are hosting their annual spring fundraiser, Frats at Bat, at the intramural fields today and Saturday. Frats at Bat is a two-day campuswide men’s softball tournament benefiting the North Texas Make-A-Wish Foundation.
According to its Web site, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to “enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”
The participating teams consist of fraternity organizations and other on-campus organizations, such as Brothers Under Christ, all competing for the title of Frats at Bat Grand Champion, said Chi O member Lindsay Morgan.
Morgan, a freshman biology major, said this type of event was chosen because it is suitable for all individuals’ talent levels.
“With softball, we feel that everyone in the whole student body can take part in the spectacle in one way or another,” Morgan said. “What fraternity guy doesn’t like to show off his old high school baseball skills in front of his favorite sorority girls?”
Proceeds from the event are raised through team entry fees, T-shirt sales, concessions, team penny jars and ticket sales from spectators.
For the first time, the tournament will include a Home Run Derby, a competition to see which competitor can hit the most home runs before the allotted amount of outs, which will require an entry fee for participants, Morgan said.
Amanda Sittig, president of Chi O, said her sorority is hoping to provide funds to grant more than three wishes – the number of wishes that were granted last year.
“Our chapter hopes to raise enough money to grant five wishes this year,” said Sittig, a junior movement science major.
Sittig said the goal is to raise $15,000 to grant the wishes that generally cost $3,000 to $5,000.
Greg Nord, a member of BYX, said the event provides an opportunity for members to find out more about each other in a social environment.
“We all have a lot of baseball backgrounds,” said Nord, a freshman premajor. “It’s an opportunity for us (BYX) to hang out together.
