The Red and Black

Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: News

Media Credit: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RICHARD HAMM [Click to enlarge]

Alpha Gamma Delta sorority hoped its pink flamingo fundraiser would have people flocking to donate money for cancer research and treatment. One problem: The birds flew the coop.

The sorority's Relay For Life committee purchased 24 plastic flamingos to place in the yards of several fraternity and sorority houses.

On Feb. 11, not long after the fundraiser began, an apparent bird-snatcher uprooted the lawn figurines from Gamma Phi Beta sorority's front yard and has yet to return them.

That's when Alpha Gamma Delta saw its hopes for the flamingo fundraiser on wings, Allison Laubacher, a sophomore sorority member who came up with the fundraising idea, said.

"It's just disappointing," she said. "They even took the sign" advertising the fundraiser.

Alpha Gamma Delta hopes the perpetrator will sing like a bird, but no one has come forward to admit the theft.

Laubacher said Gamma Phi Beta had no clues about the disappearance, but the sorority donated to the cause despite the flamingos' removal, she said.

Alpha Gamma Delta spent some time hatching its plan, which it called "Flamingo Flocking." After notifying the fraternity or sorority whose house would be the site of the bird-drop, members of Alpha Gamma Delta planted the 24 figurines in the lawn of the respective organization. Several days later, that organization would make a donation to Relay For Life, and Alpha Gamma Delta would remove the flamingos.

That was the idea, anyway.

The first attempt was a Feb. 4 flocking to the Alpha Kappa Lambda house. The attempts with Alpha Kappa Lambda and Gamma Phi Beta raised $40 for charity.

Alpha Gamma Delta, however, spent more than $100 on the flamingos and a sign, Laubacher said.

The flamingos were expected to migrate to all fraternities and sororities, raising money for the relay, she said.

The sorority hasn't put all its eggs in one basket for the American Cancer Society's annual event, held April 25 and 26.

With the flamingo fundraiser's flight path interrupted, the sorority plans to pursue other fundraising ideas, such as percentage nights at local restaurants, Laubacher said.

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