1
BETA DATA
The Official Newsletter for the
Beta Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi
Volume 6, Issue 2
Inside This Issue: Executive Board:
Master’s Address…2
Lieutenant Master Report…3 Master: Steven Hyde
Social Events…4 Lieutenant Master: Max Schechter
Sorority Relations…4 Scribe: Michael Mallon
Philanthropy…5 Exchequer: Matthew Baron
Brotherhood…6 Rush Chair: Michael Cline
Athletics…7 Pledge Master: Steven Grant
Rush…7 House Manager: Jeff Sussman
Kappa Pledge Class…8 Sentinel: Jason Fenwick
House Report…9 Brother-At-Large: Jonathan Lesser
Jewish Life…10
Parents Weekend…11
Alumni Relations..12
Alumni Advisor Report…13
Brothers Abroad…14
Donations/Contact Form…15
2
Master’s Address
Steven Hyde
Dear Brothers,
The spring 2012 semester has been one of growth, progress, and
development for our ever-improving chapter. Our brotherhood has put
in countless hours of effort to strengthen our fraternal operations in a
number of different realms. As a result, we
continue to shed our status as a young chapter. These days we have
taken on a new identity and have become a cornerstone of the Cornell
Greek system.
I wish to take a moment to address some of the highlights of the past
semester. The spring started off with a bang, as we had our strongest
Rush Week in recent memory. More rushes walked through our doors
than ever before, and we could not be prouder
of our newly initiated Kappa pledge class. Additionally, our philanthropic and civic endeavors
have reached unprecedented heights. Our annual philanthropy event, the “AE-Pie Toss,”
generated over $6,000 in donations for Sharsheret, an organization dedicated to serving the
unique concerns of Jewish women facing breast cancer. Of the 160
chapters of AEPi worldwide, our chapter raised the third most in philanthropy donations.
We also have the distinct honor of co-sponsoring an event with Hillel in New York City,
commemorating Beta alumnus and Civil Rights movement hero, Michael Schwerner ’61.
I would like to conclude by saying what an honor it is to serve as Master of such an
incredible brotherhood. My tenure here has granted me the best collegiate experience I
could imagine, and nothing I could say could do it justice. As Master, I have undergone
growth as a person as well as a leader, and I look forward to our continued collaboration.
Our future together is bright, and I hope you are all just as excited as I am to witness it.
Fraternally,
Steven Hyde ‘14
Master
3
Lieutenant Master Report
Max Schechter Wow, what a semester it has been in the life of the Beta Chapter.
Thurston Manor has been teeming with activity, from our
brotherhood pong tournament in the first week of the semester to
our formal and slope day in the last, there has been nonstop action.
Some particular highlights have been the water gun fight mixer
with Alpha Xi Delta, the Mr. AEPi pledge competition with
Kappa Kappa Gamma, our brotherhood ski trip, and of course our
most successful AEPi-Toss ever. However, in my report I wanted
to touch upon a few things that might be overlooked elsewhere in
this Beta Data.
One great time in the past semester was the trip we made to
the Delta Deuteron Chapter of AEPi at the University of Maryland
for conclave. We took a delegation of nearly 30 brothers and
pledges. For some it was their fourth conclave, for others their
first, but everyone learned fresh skills and made new friends. At
night, brothers explored the majesty of the D.C. memorials. It was
a fun bonding experience (particularly driving 12 hours in the car with Fenwick, Hyde, Henick,
and JRob!).
Another highlight of the year was our successful parents weekend. Nearly
100 people sat comfortably in the common room and enjoyed a delicious banquet
prepared by Chef Dave D’aprix. Families came from all over to see the brotherhood
put through our paces. Co-chairs of the event Eden and Jon did an amazing job
coordinating the whole production. Parents left very happy with the state of the
house and brotherhood, something we can all be proud of.
A final event I wanted to touch upon that might not get recognized was the
fantastic serenades the Kappa pledges presented to every sorority on campus. The
Kappa pledge class performed the LMFAO song “Sexy and I Know it” to rave reviews.
One sorority’s social chair texted our social directly after seeing the serenades
demanding a mixer right away. It was a proud and entertaining moment for our fraternity and
for the Kappa pledge class.
Looking at the pages of this one can clearly see the strength and
fullness of our schedule. I wanted to highlight these few examples but the semester
has been a whirlwind of activity overflowing with AEPi events. I could not be more
excited for the future of our fraternity, this semester has set the bar remarkably
high, but I am confident in our ability to clear it in the fall.
4
Social Events and Sorority Relations
Jeremy Gilston
This semester, we continued to make great strides in our Sweet-E-
Pi program. Likewise, our Date Night in February was a huge success,
and we are looking forward to our upcoming Slope Day celebrations and
Cayuga Lake Cruise Formal.
We initiated 7 new house friends into the Sweet-E-Pi program,
bringing the group up to 22. We are sad to see off our senior sweethearts,
but excited about the possibilities for next year’s program. Our first
group signed a paddle, which hangs over our fireplace to remind us of
these great girls as they move on and graduate from Cornell University.
We incorporated this program into our pledge program this semester by
holding an etiquette dinner during which our pledges were paired up with a Sweet-E-Pi to
practice good manners and proper conversations. This was a fun and successful pledge
event; the Sweet-E-Pis loved it too!
Date Night was a unique and special event that our, at the time, pledges attended. It was
a memorable time and we even had the all-male acapella group, The Hangovers, perform for us.
The common room was decorated to the nines, and everyone had a fun time.
Finally, our Sorority Relations have never been better. With new Cornell regulations on
Sorority Relations during pledging, we made do with creative activities for those particular
mixers. We had a brunch with Kappa Delta, a Mr. AEPi Pageant with Kappa Kappa Gamma,
and a Water Gun Fight with Alpha Xi Delta. In the midst of these Cornell regulated events, we
also had a Jersey Shore themed mixer with the Cornell Cheerleading team. After our pledges
were initiated, we had a Halloween II mixer with Alpha Xi Delta, a Wine Tour with Alpha Chi
Omega, hung out with the Co-ed Fraternity – Alpha Zeta - and had a Barbeque with Kappa
Delta among other events. The brothers love how involved the house has become in the larger
Greek and Sorority system.
5
Philanthropy
Jeremy Cohen
This semester in philanthropy we had unbelievable success with
AEPie-toss. The event benefitted Sharsheret, a nonprofit
organization supporting young Jewish women with breast cancer.
The idea of Pie-toss is that we sell whipped cream pies to throw at
prominent Cornellians. To raise money in addition to what we
earn by selling pies we mailed out letters to over 500 friends and
family to asking them to buy a pie from afar. In our fundraising
efforts, we shattered our goal of raising $4,000 several weeks
before the actual event and have currently raised over $6,000 for
charity. This unprecedented success has now put us as the third
best fundraising AEPi chapter in the world as the amount that we
have raised continues to grow!
In addition, the event itself was a huge success as we pied Cornell athletes, club
presidents, sorority presidents, and of course brothers who looked like they could use a nice pie
to the face. We also got a lot of publicity from the event, including coverage on the front page
of the Cornell Daily Sun! But the obvious highlight of the event was Matt "Fattush" Baron
getting pied in the behind as he headed to class.
We look forward to future philanthropy success as we continue our fundraising efforts for
this semester, and for future philanthropy in years to come!
6
Brotherhood
Steven Grant and Jason Haas This semester has been a rewarding one for me
and my Co-Brotherhood Chair, Jason Haas, as we
worked together to provide the Brotherhood with
a wide range of activities. After a long fall
semester of rushing, I always think of the spring
as the time to settle in, sit back, relax, and enjoy
"Bro Time," and Brotherhood events provide the
perfect means for us to accomplish our goal of
increased quantity and quality of this time.
A staple of the Brotherhood programming this
semester has been food.... lots of it. Between
Brotherhood trips to local Ithaca eateries (Five
Guys and Chili's are always favorites), weekly grilling (thanks to Grill
Masters Jeff Sussman and Michael Cline), pizza and wings to the house for dinners and the
Super Bowl, Insomnia Cookies by the dozen, and our annual trip to Syracuse's legendary
Dinosaur BBQ, we ate more than we ever thought could be stuffed into Baron's belly.
We weren't only putting on the pounds this semester - we also tried to work them off. Our
trip to Greek Peak for a day of skiing was a success, and the 2nd Annual Gold and Blue
Football game was a great time. We also gambled on Super Bowl Squares, watched the NCAA
Tournament Finals (congrats to Alex Adler for winning the AEPi Beta Pool!), and took in
television as a group, with Brothers devotedly watching Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and Parks
and Recreation.
A highlight of the semester - and a new addition to the Brotherhood slate - was a rousing
fraternity-wide game of Assassin. Each Brother was given another Brother to "target" and
eliminate (simply whisper the phrase "Bang Bang You're Dead") until only Brian Green
remained standing.
On the whole, it was a fulfilling and fun semester. As a graduating senior, I hope to see
the level of Brotherhood cohesion and camaraderie rise even more in the coming years despite
my absence.
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Athletics
Michael Sobel
AEPi has made a name for itself in the Cornell intramural sports
program. Although this semester started off rocky with a
relatively weak performance in 5-on-5 basketball, we have
bounced back and clinched playoff berths in both Softball and
Bowling. In Bowling we were led by senior Eden Ellis and
freshman Brian Green to a deep run into the playoffs. In
Softball under my careful coaching and the big bats of
sophomore Michael Mallon and junior Brandon Zipper, we were
able to make a post-season appearance. If this semester is any
sign of the future, AEPi will continue to excel athletically.
Rush Chairman Update
Michael Cline This past semester the brothers of the Beta Chapter had a very busy and enjoyable rush week.
Due to the new IFC regulations, the rush week schedule was severely changed this year, with
the entire week being completely dry, smokers occurring late at night, and
events occurring during the day. One of the highlights of our past rush week was the creation of
a new event, AEPi Top Shot. This event allowed brothers and rushes to participate in target
shooting using air-soft and paintball guns. Everyone had an excellent time, and contributed to
the signing of 11 total bids for the Spring 2012 Kappa Pledge class.
Looking forward, everyone is very excited for next Fall. With the help of the new rush
committee and the rest of the chapter, we have a very strong schedule planned, and a very large
list of potential rushes. Next Fall, we also are planning on starting a new annual event: AEPi
Splash Bash. Splash Bash recently became an event that many AEPi Chapters around the world
throw, and the event consists of a completely dry paint-party. Under the guidance of our newly
formed Splash Bash Chair, Justin Schindler, I am confident this event will be one of the largest
events our chapter has thrown. All of us are looking forward for next Fall, and I look forward
working with the rush committee and the chapter in improving and advancing our rush efforts.
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Kappa Pledge Class
Steven Henick, the Pledge Class President, is from
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and is a Biology and
Society major in the College of Human Ecology. Steven
is a big lacrosse fan, and on campus he is involved in
Hillel, the Student Ambassador Program, and the Ivy
Journal of Ethics.
Solomon Park, called Sol by his friends and those too
lazy to say Solomon, is from Lawrenceville, NJ. He is
studying Materials Science and Engineering, with a
minor in Fun In The Sun from Ithaca College. He is
proud to be a member of the Kappa pledge
class.
Daniel Chazen is from Manalapan, New
Jersey and studying Biology in the College of Arts & Sciences.
He is spending the summer doing biomedical research and hopes
to attend medical school in the future. His hobbies include skiing
and biking. He is also involved with Cornell Hillel. Daniel is
excited to serve as exchequer for the upcoming school year.
Daniel Seth Lewis is a hippy-dippy ultra right-wing liberal
extremist from Saratoga, CA. He doesn't have a college, major,
or anything else similarly important. He reads about a
book a week, and is currently the Executive Editor of the
Cornell Lunatic.
David Streitman is from Syosset, New York and is
studying Biological Engineering in the College of Agriculture and
Life Sciences. David is currently a member of the Big Red Marching
Band, and enjoys exercising and watching the Dallas
Mavericks in his spare time.
Robert Guber is from Jericho, New York and is
studying Biology and Society in the College of
Human Ecology. Robert enjoys working in a research lab,
and loves playing sports.
Joseph Schertzer is from Weston, Florida and is majoring in
Human Development. He is very active in the Hillel, serving as
the Co-Chair of the Freshman Engagement Committee and on the
Hillel Orientation team. He is an avid soccer enthusiast, piano
player, and hopes to one day become a doctor.
Justin Schindler is a rising sophomore in the college of engineering, planning
to affiliate in chemical engineering. He loves to sing
(both in and out of the shower) and play the
saxophone. Although he is not in any musical
ensembles on campus, he plans on auditioning for
an a cappella group next semester. He participates
in research on mesoporous silicon nanofibers with
Dr. Joo’s group. His favorite character in mario
party is Luigi.
Brian Green is a biology major with a
minor in business. He is an animal
enthusiast, child psychic and ghost
whisperer, and plays baseball. On
campus, he enjoys partying, hanging
out with friends, watching television,
eating
omelets,
and being a ladies man.
Alec Bernard is a biology major from
Westport, Connecticut. He is soft-spoken,
enjoys skiing, pistachio ice cream, and
crocheting. He is part of EMS and spends a lot
of his time saving lives
while maintaining good
grades.
Sam Lester is a sophomore transfer from Michigan
majoring in Information Science. He is from Irvine and
California. Famous for wearing Hawaiian shirts and his
catchphrase, “Well…,” he is always a pleasure to talk
to. He has been to every Major League Baseball
stadium and is a huge Mets fan.
9
House Report
Jeff Sussman
This semester Thurston Manor retained its position as one of the most
well kept fraternity houses on campus. We continued to enjoy the
wonderful food prepared by our new chef Dave D'aprix, and hope to
enjoy his cooking for years to come. If you have visited the house in the
past few months you might have noticed that the foyer has been
completely transformed. AEPi Nationals provided us with beautiful blue
curtains to hang in front of the windows. They allow for more privacy
and also insulate the foyer well. Other improvements to the house include
the Kappa pledge class project, which focused on improving the
backyard. The Kappas purchased and put together a brand new basketball
hoop which actually extends to regulation height! Brothers have been
known to "ball so hard" that AEPi basketball hoops rarely last more than a semester, but this
sturdy hoop should last at least a semester and a week. The Kappas also installed and painted a
fence which protects part of the infamous Putzer Falls, and built a blue and gold hammock in
the backyard.
Over the summer brothers will continue to improve the house. Michael Cline and Jeremy
Gilston have already transformed the common room, splitting it into a dining room and living
room. We also started to create a house gym, purchasing a bench, barbell, and over 250 pounds
of weights. In addition, Nationals will be helping us build a new storage shed, as well as
repaving the driveway this summer.
10
Jewish Life
Michael Cline and Mickey Katz
This semester our calendar was packed
with various Jewish life events.
Throughout the semester, the brothers of
AEPi held semi-regular Shabbat dinners
for the brotherhood, friends, and Cornell
community. People came to the house to
enjoy some delicious Challah, grape
juice, and a filling dinner provided by 104
West - the Cornell Jewish Living Center.
On the first night of Passover, the majority of the brotherhood flocked to
north campus for Cornell's annual Super Seder where some of our own
brothers led Seders at multiple tables. For the second night of Passover,
we held our annual Second Night Seder, where we invite friends and guests to come join us to
retell the story of Passover, sing the four questions, and schmooze with the brotherhood.
Everyone had an amazing time, and the food was delicious. Later in the semester, the brothers
commemorated Yom Hashoah by participating in AEPi and B'nai B'riths "Walk to Remember".
For this event, we had over 20 brothers dress up in all black, wear signs saying "never forget"
and walk around campus in complete silence handing out informational quarter cards to the
Cornell Community. It was a very moving event for those who participated, and it helped raise
Holocaust awareness amongst the Cornell community. This semester was very busy with all the
events, and I'm sure the next Jewish Life Chairs, Joseph Schertzer and Daniel Lewis, will do an
amazing job making next semester just as exciting and fun.
11
Parents Weekend
Eden Ellis and Jonathan Lesser This year, the Beta Chapter hosted perhaps its most successful
AEPi Parents Weekend yet. From April 20th
– 22nd
, parents
gathered to celebrate the health of our fraternity with endless
food, drink and entertainment. With approximately eighty
percent of brothers’ parents in attendance, the house’s
common room was exceptionally packed throughout the
weekend. Highlights include the annual awards ceremony and
dinner banquet with a cocktail hour featuring esteemed House
Sommelier Eric Scheiner, and a four-course meal cooked by
our beloved Chef Dave D’Aprix. The evening’s awards were
delivered complete with Bar Mitzvah-style entrance music
dedicated to the winners, which brought countless laughs. The
following morning, Chef Dave followed up with a
scrumptious buffet brunch that our parents thoroughly
enjoyed before heading home. On the whole, the parents of the Beta Chapter were beyond
impressed with the improvements we have made over the past few years, and thrilled by the
positive direction of the chapter’s future.
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Alumni Relations
Jeremy Roberts This semester has led to another giant leap forward in terms of Alumni
Relations and as a result, it was a rewarding semester. Beta Chapter Updates
were provided more frequently to let alumni know what was happening on a
monthly basis. Our scribe, Michael Mallon, updated the blogs on our AEPi
website www.aepibeta.org to provide more details on chapter events.
Overall, it was great to continue building connections with our alumni.
I also started a new initiative, contacting active alumni to provide more
information on our past history to give current brothers a better understanding
of Beta Chapter lore. This was quite successful and I heard stories from all eras of AEPi. It
was great to find out that college has changed so much, yet brotherhood, friendships, and
personalities have remained the same.
The Impact and Legacy of Mickey Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney
event was also fantastic. The martyrs’ brothers, Stephen Schwerner, David Goodman, and Ben
Chaney, respectively, recounted the events of 1964 with members of AEPi, Cornell Black
Alumni Association, and other various Cornell alumni. They answered questions about their
own actions on the evening of June 21, the current state of racial affairs, Jewish/Black tactics in
civil rights, and factual inaccuracies of Mississippi Burning. It ended on a touching note when
they imagined what the martyrs would be doing if still alive today.
There were also many AEPi Beta alumni at the event. Conversations with Brothers
Hecht ‘11, Grossman ‘11, and Tananbaum ’11 picked up right where they left off. It was also
cool to hear from some older Beta alumni such as Peter Sherman ’61, a roommate of Mickey
Schwerner’s, Bruce Gitlin ’77, and David Hoffman ’58, as they recounted their times in AEPi
prior to Thurston Manor. Jared Hakimi ’07 and David Chipurnoi ‘00 played a huge role in
putting the event together and it would not have been successful without their work.
Finally, Mazel Tov to Joe Vulih ’08 on his marriage! It was awesome to hear that many
of his brothers were also in attendance. AEPi really does forge friendships for a lifetime.
Reunion Weekend is going to be a blast and it will be great to meet some brothers who
have made AEPi what it is today. Hope to see you there!
Stephen Schwerner
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Alumni Advisor
David Chipurnoi ‘00 Dear Brothers, This year has been another eventful one for the Beta Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi! The undergraduates had a successful intramural sports campaign, a packed social calendar, a tremendous philanthropic push that should put the chapter in the top 5 of all chapters this year, and our partnership with Cornell Hillel for educational programming in the NYC area and available worldwide on the internet - the Legacy of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney (please read the story on that amazing event). AEPi is continuing it's leadership on campus with brotherhood involvement in student activities at an all-time high, including a second year of representation in a row on the Inter-fraternity Council executive board. In a year that saw Cornell's Greek system consistently making the national media headlines for hazing and other poor decisions, it was wonderful to see our chapter provide a prime example of student leadership and all the benefits that fraternity membership provides an undergraduate man. Congratulations to our newest alumni - the Class of 2012! For the first time this year is also your Reunion Zero, the most recent alumni class is now officially a part of Cornell's Reunion Weekend. As this program grows, I look forward to seeing the newest alumni up in Ithaca during Reunion weekends. For all those other alumni coming back to Ithaca, feel free to stop by the Beta house at 140 Thurston Avenue for our official Reunion events on Friday June 8th from 4-6pm and Saturday June 9th from 4-6pm. If those times conflict with other Reunion activities, you are more than welcome to come to the house at any other time but to ensure someone is there to show you around, please contact Jeremy Roberts at [email protected] . As Alpha Epsilon Pi approaches its centennial in 2013, I would like to announce a few projects I have been working on to better improve alumni affairs and relationships with AEPi International and Cornell University. The Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation now has an individual account set up for the Beta Chapter. If you are making a donation to the AEPi Foundation, and want those funds to be earmarked for our chapter, please contact Jay Feldman, the Operations Director of the AEPi Foundation at [email protected] . If you were planning on making a 2013 Committee level donation, the funds will be split with our new Beta Chapter fund. Also, it is about time that Beta Chapter has an official Alumni Association to not only assist the undergraduate chapter with alumni programming. To ensure this new Alumni Association has a connection to the current brotherhood on campus, Jared Hakimi '07 (a Founding Father of the current iteration of Beta, a former AEPi International employee, and an all-around great guy) will be partnering with me on re-establishing a Beta Chapter Alumni Association. It will take more than just two men to do this justice, so any brother who has the time to donate in undertaking this start up, please email me personally. Finally, I have been working with the Director of Affinity Programs in Alumni Affairs to partner with Cornell in our plans to celebrate our own personal centennial in 2017 - the first time our chapter will attempt a massive celebration since 1997's 80th anniversary. As I said, this has been an eventful year for Beta chapter, but I can't help but think it is only the beginning of something bigger and better! Fraternally, David Chipurnoi '00 [email protected]
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Brothers Abroad
Alex Adler, Micah Freedman, Jay Wexler Alexander Adler
I spent this last semester completing a credit internship in New York City. I worked at
Viacom in the Human Resources department, planning employee events, contact
employees regarding disability leaves, and organizing flexible work arrangements. While
in the city, I was fortunate enough to live with Brother Alumnus Adam Putzer '11 in an
apartment off Park Ave. Over the summer, I will be working in the mailroom at United
Talent Agency in Los Angeles. During this internship, I will work as an entrance level
employee on the track to become a talent agent.
Micah Freedman I spent this past semester doing a study abroad program in South Africa. The majority of the program took place inside of the Kruger
National Park, which is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. As such, my semester was basically a big safari replete with lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, baboons, and pretty much every other African animal you can think of. I also spent some time living in a small village near the border with Zimbabwe, where I was kept busy with entertaining children, slaughtering chickens, and collecting water. There was also a brief stay in Cape Town and along the Indian Ocean coast. The South African summer provided a welcome break from the bleak Ithaca winter, and the program as a whole was a welcome relief from the formality and structure that I've grown used to at Cornell.
Jay Wexler This semester I decided to study in Berlin to work on my German reading and speaking, learn new things from different perspectives, and just generally see the "old world" and have fun. True to my ILR background I have devoted a lot of my classwork and outside activity to studying labor relations in Germany, as well as the philosophical works that have come out of Germany over the centuries that lead them, and many Europeans to see things differently than those of us who grew up in the USA. I have also been traveling around Europe heading in pretty much every direction. Most recently I returned from a program through the Auschwitz Jewish Center to Krakow, Poland and Auschwitz where I was fortunate enough to see and learn things that I had previously only experienced through books, history channel documentaries, and when very lucky first hand retelling. It was not an experience I expected to have during my time here but I couldn't be more happy that I had it, and that pretty much summarizes this semester; one filled with expected and
unexpected great new experiences in this old and interesting city, country, and continent.
15
Beta Donations
The Beta Chapter would like to thank the following
alumni for their generous donations:
$250 - $299 ~ Gold
$100 - $249 ~ Silver
Adam Schneider
$25 - $99 ~ Pearl
Leonard Gang
Donation levels are based on semesterly giving. If you donated
and your name is not listed above, we apologize for this
mistake, and you will be recognized in next semester’s
newsletter.
Help Keep Us Up To Date: Fill out this form and return to: Steven Hyde, Master 140 Thurston Ave. Ithaca, NY 14850
Name:_________________________________________ Year:_______________
Do you need to update your information? y / n
Do you have an announcement you would like to place in the next issue? y / n
Would you like to be put on the alumni email list to receive announcements form the chapter via email
or to connect with other brothers?
email:_________________________________________
Please accept my enclosed donation of _____________ to be used for ____________________________________
Announcement______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________