We do it for Brother Lou
Phi Delta Theta’s membership is committed to supporting the fight against ALS in honor of Phi Delta Theta member and baseball great, Lou Gehrig, who passed away from ALS, now commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Each year, hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised to fight ALS through the efforts of Phi Delta Theta members, both undergraduates and alumni.
The Live Like Lou Foundation
Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity has taken a significant step to broaden its reach and deepen its impact on the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the devastating disease named for Brother Lou Gehrig. In November 2017 Phi Delta Theta launched The Live Like Lou Foundation, a stand-alone 501c3 not-for-profit entity with a national scope.
Iron Phi – The Brotherhood of Athletes
Iron Phi was developed to strengthen both Phi Delta Theta and its impact on the fight against Lou Gehrig’s disease. Iron Phis must raise $1,000 through the Iron Phi fundraising website and achieve an athletic goal of choice.
Dollars raised by Iron Phi participants are split equally between two causes: Funding important ALS initiatives through The Live Like Lou Foundation and funding leadership development opportunities for members of Phi Delta Theta.
More than 4,200 Phis of all ages and athletic abilities have raised $3.2+ million by doing everything from running and biking to swimming and walking in their pursuit to become Iron Phis.
The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
Each year, the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity presents the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award to the Major League Baseball Player who best exemplifies the spirit and character of Brother Lou Gehrig, both on and off the field. This award is the first and only “officially” sanctioned Major League Baseball award given to ballplayers by a fraternity. Lou Gehrig was a distinguished member of Phi Delta Theta and a man of integrity. The award was created to acknowledge an individual player’s outstanding commitment to both his community and philanthropy. Since the award’s inception in 1955, the name of each recipient has been placed on the permanent Gehrig Award plaque, located at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Live Like Lou’s Connect & Serve Program
The Live Like Lou Foundation and its partners from Hope Loves Company work to match ALS families in the United States and Canada with individual volunteers from Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity for outdoor clean-up support. The goal is to provide ALS families with dignity, support, and camaraderie during their ALS journey in a unique way that protects everyone from unnecessary exposure to illness or other risks.