2008 Woodie Awards
Students 'lift' the hearts of Katrina victims with bench-press challenge
Alison Militano
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: News
Students bench-pressed their way to raising more than $1,000 Sunday to benefit the Volunteers for America charity responsible for rebuilding the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon teamed up with the Fusion Fitness Center for the first-ever "team bench-press competition."
Junior Evan Kalbacher organized the event along with juniors Ben Capon and Jasmin Szafransky. Kalbacher said he and his friends wanted to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in rebuilding homes when they went last year with three other people to New Orleans for spring break. He said this year there are 39 students going.
"We just started planning earlier this year," Kalbacher said. "We used a lot of Facebook messaging as well as getting the word out to fraternities and sororities to help."
The event was free for those to watch, although there were opportunities to donate to the cause through raffles.
Kalbacher said anyone was able to participate at a cost of $20 per team. He said girls had to lift 45 pounds while the guys had to lift135. The team with the most repetitions won.
Nick DeCaire, owner and founder of Fusion Fitness Center, said Kalbacher approached him asking for help because of his past experiences with charity work.
"He knew I had organized the Main Street Mile race last semester for a charity and asked for my help," DeCaire said. "Being a National Champion Powerlifter, I had had the idea for a bench press competition for awhile and suggested it."
He said as a 2002 Delaware graduate, he enjoys being able to help out for a good cause.
"The students are a huge part of this community and I know these guys," DeCaire said. "It's just a great cause and they're going to be helping out a lot of people in need instead of going to Cancun and just partying up."
Kalbacher said he wants to be able to raise enough money so that he and his group will be able to not only volunteer, but will also be able to buy supplies needed to do so.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon teamed up with the Fusion Fitness Center for the first-ever "team bench-press competition."
Junior Evan Kalbacher organized the event along with juniors Ben Capon and Jasmin Szafransky. Kalbacher said he and his friends wanted to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in rebuilding homes when they went last year with three other people to New Orleans for spring break. He said this year there are 39 students going.
"We just started planning earlier this year," Kalbacher said. "We used a lot of Facebook messaging as well as getting the word out to fraternities and sororities to help."
The event was free for those to watch, although there were opportunities to donate to the cause through raffles.
Kalbacher said anyone was able to participate at a cost of $20 per team. He said girls had to lift 45 pounds while the guys had to lift135. The team with the most repetitions won.
Nick DeCaire, owner and founder of Fusion Fitness Center, said Kalbacher approached him asking for help because of his past experiences with charity work.
"He knew I had organized the Main Street Mile race last semester for a charity and asked for my help," DeCaire said. "Being a National Champion Powerlifter, I had had the idea for a bench press competition for awhile and suggested it."
He said as a 2002 Delaware graduate, he enjoys being able to help out for a good cause.
"The students are a huge part of this community and I know these guys," DeCaire said. "It's just a great cause and they're going to be helping out a lot of people in need instead of going to Cancun and just partying up."
Kalbacher said he wants to be able to raise enough money so that he and his group will be able to not only volunteer, but will also be able to buy supplies needed to do so.
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