Field Notes
ALPHA THETA CHAPTER
Maryland
Commitment to Our Purpose INTERNAL GREATNESS AS
an organization requires a commitment to our Purpose. We, the brothers of Alpha Gamma Rho’s Alpha Theta Chapter from the University of Maryland, recognize this and strive to hold it in highest regard. Our commitment to service and involvement in communal and philanthropic events are what make our brothers outstanding citizens, students, and representatives of Alpha Gamma Rho. This past year, our chapter has supported and contributed significantly to the chapter's philanthropy cause: suicide prevention. In doing so, we raised upwards of $5,500 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and for Ms. Wanda Gryszkiewicz, mother of Gary “Mitch” Gryskiewicz who took his life in the summer of 2014 while a member of the Alpha Theta Chapter. The Chapter holds the Alpha Gamma Rhodeo each spring, welcoming all University students and College Park residents to participate in mechanical bull riding and barbecue with brothers. As a chapter, we hold Mitch-APalooza prior to a campus-wide AFSP Walk Out of Darkness to remember and celebrate Mitch's 18
SICKLE & SHEAF
SUMMER 2020
life. His family as well as many others attend, and brothers are educated on the implications of suicide and the importance of support and prevention. Mitch adds to our passion to raise awareness and support prevention of suicide. Further, we nurture and support Mitch’s mother, known to us as Momma Wanda, in her outreach efforts which include presentations on suicide and prevention, given at various schools throughout the state of Maryland.
Our chapter’s value for commitment to purpose is strong, and we are especially proud to have received an Honorable Mention for the Outstanding Community Service and Philanthropic Efforts Award from Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity in 2019. The Alpha Theta Chapter further commits ourselves to solidarity in our immediate community through efforts to serve and contribute to local organizations.
Our brothers volunteer one to two times a month at St. Andrews Episcopal Church at their Loaves and Fishes Program, a meal service for those who are less fortunate living in and around College Park. There is certainly no scarcity of willing volunteers among our brothers, and because of this, we remain in excellent standing among our surrounding community. Alpha Theta Chapter recently participated in sending care packages to deployed United States Troops through the Terps for Service Members organization on campus and were able to collectively produce a significant number of items for donation. Our chapter’s value for commitment to Purpose is strong, and we are especially proud to have received an Honorable Mention for the Outstanding Community Service and Philanthropic Efforts Award from Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity in 2019. We can attribute such recognitions and successes to the collective efforts and passion of our brothers, and this achievement of our chapter has been celebrated as a testament to the pride we, as brothers, invest in our Fraternity, our community, and ourselves in pursuit to Make Better Men.
