ZBT hosts annual Get on the Ball fundraiser

Tufts fraternity Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT)’s annual “Get on the Ball” philanthropy event to raise money for the Boston Children’s Hospitalkicked off last Wednesday and will continue through this Friday, according to ZBT President Jason Brillon and ZBT Vice President Bryan Dumond.

Dumond, a senior, explained that members of ZBT will be rolling a ball with a six-foot diameter around campus and into Davis Square to collect signatures from students, faculty and passersby on the ball itself.

“We’ve been working with a number of partners who have pledged to donate a certain amount of money for each signature we get on the ball, so the goal is to get as many signatures as we can and gather as much support as we can,” he said.

The signatures on the ball itself are an important part of the fundraising process, and the brothers of ZBT hope to top the number of signatures they collected last year to raise awareness and donations for the Boston Children’s Hospital, according to Brillon, a junior.

“Last year we had around 3,500 signatures, so that’s something we would like to top this year," he added. "We’re always looking to improve.”

Dumond said that one major change in this year’s "Get on the Ball" fundraiser is the addition of “percentage plans.” On Oct. 21, 20 percent of revenue from Orange Leaf in Davis Square will go to the Boston Children’s Hospital, and on Oct. 23, 20 percent of revenue from Amsterdam Falafelshop will also go to the hospital, he explained

According to Dumond, ZBT also hopes to raise more money this year than they have in the past.

“Last year we raised $5,000 for Boston Children’s Hospital, and this year we think we can exceed that," he said. "We’re making our goal $5,500 ... and given the support we’ve got from alumni in our fraternity, parents and the 20 percent plans we have instilled this year, we think it’s a very ambitious yet realistic goal.”

On Oct. 15, ZBT held its "Get on the Ball" kickoff celebration in Alumnae Lounge. According to Dumond, the event featured raffles with gift cards to local restaurant favorites such as Yoshi’s, Danish Pastry House and Dave’s Fresh Pasta. The event also had raffle items such as tickets to the Somerville Theatre and an autographed baseball from the Boston Red Sox. The Amalgamates, sQ! and Anchord all performed at the event.

“All the money collected from the raffles will be donated back to the hospital,” ZBT Philanthropy Chair Joseph Cirone, a sophomore, said.

According to Brillon, this is the third year of the "Get on the Ball" fundraiser. Initially the event was supposed to take place every other year, but it is now an annual tradition.

“We thought it would be a better idea to do it every year, because it is a really big event and we want to develop that relationship with Boston Children’s Hospital, and it’s a good way to get their name out there,” he said.

Brillon added that the event is meant to take place on Parents and Family Weekend to gain further attention.

“We always try to start or end [the fundraiser] on Parents [and Family] Weekend to engage the larger Tufts community and to show the parents … what our organization and what the university stand for,” he explained.

Dumond and Brillon said that the event is a collaborative event, and ZBT has partnered with Boston Children’s Hospital, student groups and other Greek organizations to plan the event.

“We try to work with other group organizations throughout the year and try to make this more of a collaborative thing,” Brillon noted.

The funds are donated to Boston Children’s Hospital every year since it is a part of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which is ZBT's official nationwide philanthropy, according to Dumond. However, some members of ZBT have their own connections to Boston Children’s Hospital.

“I’m a child development minor, and I love working with kids," Dumond said. "One of my current suitemates and I used to volunteer at the Boston Children’s Hospital last year … and I really liked the environment there.”

According to Brillon and Dumond, there will also be a closing social event at the end of the fundraiser. The event, titled “ZBT Presents: Halloweentown,” will take place at the ZBT house. All money raised from the event will also be donated to Boston Children’s Hospital, and tickets for this event can be purchased from Tufts Tickets or at the Mayer Campus Center information booth.