On October 25, the North Carolina Beta Chapter at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helped execute the 7th annual Eve Carson Memorial 5k for Education in partnership with Pi Beta Phi Sorority. This event was established to honor Eve Carson, the former student body president who was tragically murdered in 2008. The 5K raises money for the Eve Carson Memorial Scholarship, which is a merit award given to outstanding, involved juniors at UNC. Proceeds from the race also support CEO 4 Teens (a non-profit co-founded by former NC Beta Brother Kenny Haisfield that aims to provide educational opportunities for at-risk youth in Boston and Indonesia) and the Pi Beta Phi Literacy Fund.

Brothers worked alongside members of Pi Beta Phi for nearly two months before the race to recruit participants, raise awareness about the race through innovative events like “Pie a Phi” in the campus Pit, set up sponsored fundraising events at local restaurants and stores on Franklin Street, and organize partnerships with businesses that donated refreshments and items for the runners’ bags.

The day of the race went extremely well with beautiful weather, speeches by a current recipient of the scholarship and the chancellor, and a musical performance by Brother Swain Molster (’17) and the Clef Hangers male a cappella group. This collective effort resulted in one of the single most successful philanthropic events in UNC’s rich history, registering 1,601 runners and raising $131,329 in total revenue. The race boasted the most runners of any 5K in Chapel Hill this year and one of the highest totals in Eve Carson 5K history. Further, the $131,329 in total revenue was more than double the amount of total revenue raised last year and set a new record. $118,000 in total contributions were reported after deducting operational costs, making this one of the most successful philanthropic events in all of Chapel Hill. This poignant initiative and continuously growing philanthropic function is a point of pride for the North Carolina Beta Chapter, and another successful year further establishes it as a premier cause at UNC-Chapel Hill.