Alpha Tau Omega – Gamma Upsilon

Signature Event | Fall 2026

By: Chance Roberts, Iowa State University

Background Information

Following the completion of our fall signature event and my final term as Philanthropy Chair, I have had some time to reflect on what our chapter has accomplished and the changes I have made to this position. Looking back, I cannot help but feel grateful for the opportunity I was given and proud of what I have been able to accomplish.

I was elected to this position nearly a year ago, and from that moment on, I was determined to make improvements and leave the position better than I found it. My first opportunity to do so came in the spring with our philanthropy event, Cones and Bones. This was a great opportunity to learn the process, establish myself as Philanthropy Chair, and begin making an impact. Overall, the event was a success, and we raised twice as much as we had the previous year. However, I knew that if I wanted to make a lasting impact in this position, I would need to accomplish more than simply putting on one successful event.

While attending a signature event meeting at ATO Congress over the summer, something finally clicked. For a chapter of our size, our signature event was severely underperforming. Not only did I recognize this as one of the greatest opportunities for improvement within our chapter, but I also realized that this was my last opportunity to make a meaningful, lasting difference through this position.

After returning from Orlando, I immediately began developing a new vision for our signature event. I knew that if these changes were going to last beyond my time as Philanthropy Chair, the event needed to be something special. I wanted every member of our chapter to feel personally connected to the cause, have an opportunity to participate, and see the impact of their efforts. With that vision in mind, I took it upon myself to make it happen. With the help and support of my Philanthropy Committee, we brought that vision to life.

The New Signature Event

My goals for the new signature event extended beyond simply raising more money than we ever had before. I wanted to increase chapter-wide participation, select a charitable organization that our members could genuinely connect with, and expand our impact beyond a single event by bringing awareness to the cause throughout campus.

The first major change I made was selecting a new charitable organization to support. We had experienced some challenges with one of our previous foundations, including a lack of communication and, ultimately, a failure to attend its own event. I knew we needed a partnership that was more meaningful and one that would allow us to see the direct impact of our efforts.

For me, this is where the role of Philanthropy Chair became personal. I found myself in a unique position to make a difference in something that meant a great deal to me, while also giving our entire chapter an opportunity to do the same.

After a great deal of reflection and brainstorming, I landed on an idea that eventually became one of the proudest accomplishments of my life.

When I was a freshman in high school, my sister’s close friend and teammate, Paige Roesner, died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. My father was her softball coach, and my sister was both her teammate and close friend. Her passing had a tremendous impact on my family and our community. Paige was an honor roll student and one of the best players on her softball team. Her sudden passing came as an unimaginable shock to everyone who knew her.

A year later, her parents established the Play for Paige Foundation with a mission to combat teen suicide and promote mental health awareness among young people. Since its founding, the organization has developed numerous initiatives, including providing therapy dogs, supporting a suicide prevention hotline, maintaining a website full of mental health resources, and bringing professional speakers and certified doctors into schools to educate students about mental health. More recently, the foundation has also developed a software program that sends students daily text messages reminding them that they matter through Scripture and positive affirmations.

The foundation has continued to grow, expanding its reach and supporting young people across the country. I have always been incredibly inspired by the Roesner family and the work they have done in Paige’s memory. With my new position, I recognized an opportunity to turn that personal connection into something much bigger. With the support of our chapter, I made the decision to partner with the Play for Paige Foundation.

With our new charitable partner selected, I could turn my attention to developing the structure of our signature event. I wanted to increase not only the amount of money we raised but also the level of participation and time our members dedicated to the cause. Rather than hosting a single event for one day and moving on, I envisioned an entire week dedicated to raising awareness, generating donations, and giving our members multiple opportunities to get involved.

That vision became Tau-A-Thon.

Tau-A-Thon: Gamma Upsilon’s New Signature Event

The biggest advantage of transitioning from a single-day event to a week-long initiative was the opportunity to make the cause more personal to our chapter. Instead of simply asking members to show up and participate in one event, we created multiple opportunities for them to understand the organization we were supporting, connect with its mission, and see the impact of their contributions. Ultimately, our success came from having the entire chapter genuinely buy into the cause.

One of the first steps was bringing the founders of the Play for Paige Foundation to our chapter. They took time out of their day to make the three-hour drive and speak with our members during chapter meeting. Hearing their story firsthand and learning why they started the foundation gave our members a much deeper understanding of the organization and the importance of the work we were supporting. This personal connection was instrumental in getting our chapter invested in the event.

A few days later, we hosted our first-ever Hour-A-Thon. The results speak for themselves, as this became the driving force behind our record-breaking fundraising efforts.

The Hour-A-Thon was built around a donation website that I helped design specifically for this event. Before the fundraiser, I asked every member to compile a list of 25 personal contacts whom they could reach out to by phone or text. Each member was responsible for explaining the cause, sharing the foundation’s mission, and asking for a donation. I was able to track which members had submitted their contacts and hold everyone accountable throughout the process.

Once everyone had their contacts ready, we brought the entire chapter together for one dedicated hour of fundraising. Members called and texted their contacts simultaneously, creating an incredible atmosphere of participation and shared purpose. In just one hour, our chapter raised $15,000.

Following the Hour-A-Thon, the donation link remained active for another week. We continued reaching out to potential donors and sending reminders to maximize contributions before the fundraiser officially closed.

To finish the week, we hosted Stickfest at our chapter house, providing one final opportunity to bring our members together and support the cause. We raised slightly more than we typically do for this event, which helped contribute to our overall fundraising total and brought Tau-A-Thon to a successful conclusion.

None of this would have been possible without the willingness of our members to buy into the vision and participate throughout the week. The success of Tau-A-Thon was a true chapter-wide effort, and I could not be prouder of what we accomplished together.

The Results

The numbers speak for themselves. Through the creation of Tau-A-Thon and the support of our entire chapter, Gamma Upsilon accomplished something truly special during Fall 2026:

• $30,640.13 raised for the Play for Paige Foundation.
• 100% member participation and donations across the chapter.
• 9 times more money raised than our signature event generated during the same period the previous year.

What started as an idea to improve our chapter’s signature event became something much bigger. We created a new tradition, established a meaningful partnership, brought our chapter together around an important cause, and raised an amount of money that we had never come close to achieving before.

More importantly, I believe we created a foundation for future Philanthropy Chairs to build upon. My goal from the beginning was not just to have one successful event, but to leave this position better than I found it. I hope Tau-A-Thon continues to grow, that our partnership with the Play for Paige Foundation remains strong, and that future members of Gamma Upsilon continue to make an impact through the work we started.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served as Philanthropy Chair, and I will always be proud of what our chapter accomplished together.