APO's Teeter for Tots raises about $1,000 for Friends Association

Alpha Phi Omega members raised about $1,000 last week to support The Friends Association for Children during its annual Teeter for Tots fundraiser.

APO, University of Richmond's community service fraternity, held activities throughout the week, including an a capella concert sing-off, a dunk tank and multiple see-saws stationed in the University Forum and the dining hall.

APO has held Teeter for Tots for 18 years, but certain changes were enacted to this year's fundraiser, APO President Amanda Minnitte said. Changes included using a credit card reader to expand accepted donation methods and eliminating 24-hour monitoring of the see-saws by APO members, she said.

"I think overall we were able to revamp the fundraiser and increase our ability to raise donations," Minnitte said.

APO chairwoman Kacie Lundy said, "At one point, a kid on a campus tour stopped and came over to donate, and that was pretty exciting."

The Friends Association is a non-profit agency that has provided welfare and social services to children and families in the Richmond area since 1871, according to its website.

Senior Brenna Callahan said that she had also been happy that she had not been required to guard the see-saws in the middle of the night, as she had done her sophomore year.

Monday's opening ceremony consisted of entertaining 10 children from The Friends Association for Children at the dining hall.

On Tuesday, APO also hosted a faculty family night in the dining hall.

On Wednesday, APO hosted an a capella sing-off between The Octaves and Choeur du Roi in the Alice Haynes Room.

The funniest part of the a capella concert was seeing a janitor dancing and cheering during sophomore Chase Brightwell's performance, sophomore Shirley Chu said.

"She stood up and danced and clapped," Chu said. "And after Chase's funny performance, she gave him a huge hug."

Thursday's dunk tank drew a crowd as students dunked fellow students and science professors Eugene Wu and Will Case in the forum.

"The water was definitely chilly," Minnitte said. "Everyone who was dunked was shrieking."

Seeing crowds of students lining up to dunk their professors was Lundy's favorite moment of the week, Lundy said. "It was a beautiful day, tons of students came out, and the professors were great sports."

On Friday, APO hosted a closing ceremony, and 10 children attended, Minnitte said.

The fraternity also raffled prizes for students and faculty who participated, and prizes included a one-night stay in the Jefferson Hotel.

Minnitte said she thought Teeter for Tots had improved its effectiveness from her first year in APO, but that its goal of making it a memorable week for the children had not wavered.

Contact reporter Jenna Robinson at jenna.robinson@richmond.edu