A number of student organizations and departments within Boston University announced plans to hold fundraisers for the seven members of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity who lost their house to fire at 84 Linden St. on Sunday.
“All of BU has been showing great support,” said College of Arts and Sciences junior Jake Magid, president of Sigma Alpha Mu. “We’re seeing it from all sides.”
Magid, the acting spokesman for his fraternity and the students affected by the fire, said help has been pouring in since people heard about the fire.
“Yesterday was basically damage control trying to find out where everybody was sent, making sure everybody was safe and trying to get them situated,” Magid said.
Jimmy Czodli, president of the Interfraternity Council, said fraternities at BU plan to hold a meeting on Wednesday to organize their relief efforts. Some chapters have begun fundraising individually for Sigma Alpha Mu, also known as Sammy.
“We are trying to get the whole Greek community to get behind Sammy and support them, because it affects all of us,” Czodli, a senior in CAS, said.
School of Education junior Lindsay Beatty, the vice president of Sigma Kappa, said the Panhellenic Council organized a bake sale in the George Sherman Union Link that will run from Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bake sale will also serve as a drop-off location for donated items such as toiletries and clothes. All proceeds will be sent to the displaced students.
“I know normally sorority-wide events would be run through Panhel, but I think we were just trying to get things moving quickly,” Beatty said. “I’m sure Panhel is in support of it as well.”
Magid said the Dean of Student’s office placed the victims in a BU residence hall until they can find more permanent lodgings.
“The dean’s office has been great,” he said. “They’ve really helped us with information and things like that. They work really well with us and they’ve been providing everything from meal plans to linens.”
The Dean of Students office also offered school supplies, textbooks and other materials the students lost in the fire, Magid said. The students involved in the fire left the house in their underwear. They lost their clothes and other personal belongings.
“We’ve had guys literally offering the shirts off their backs,” he said.
Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore was unavailable for comment at press time.
Magid is working with Hillel’s social action chair to help the victims, BU Hillel president Joel Udwin said.
Udwin, a sophomore in the School of Management, said the organization started fundraising efforts as soon as it found out. Hillel set up a receptacle for money in their lobby, as well as a link to donate online.
The proceeds are planned to go to Sigma Alpha Mu to help rebuild the victims‘ house, replace lost possessions, cover medical bills and finance other expenses they may have incurred as a result, Udwin said.
Magid said student groups are aiming to work together to help the students recover.
“The news has already spread to the rest of BU, and they’ve been starting to come out and show their support,” he said.
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Donate to the relief fund through the Boston University Hillel. Anything is appreciated. You can also donate in the lobby of Hillel. http://www.bu.edu/hillel/