Greeks are uniting through service for the 57th annual Eastern Greek Week.

The theme of this year’s Greek Week is Greeks United Through Service.

The week begins at 11 a.m. on Friday in the Library Quad with Unity Bingo and concludes at 6 p.m. on April 16 in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union with the Greek Awards Banquet.

“The focus of the Greeks United Through Service theme focuses on all of the fundraising and service projects that the Greek Community participates in during this week,” said Kelly Goodpaster, Greek Week co-chair. “We will be donating to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Project Linus and the HOPE Center, while contributing our time to Jefferson Elementary School.”

For participation in the St. Jude fundraising event, Greek teams have the possibility of earning four points depending on the amount of money they raise for St. Jude and other projects they due to benefit the hospital.

“We are all coming together and putting together blankets for St. Jude’s,” said Jeremy Langendorf, Greek Week co-chair. “We are all making blankets for people in the hospital.”

Points are given for all community service events, including Jefferson Fun Days, with the possibility of a house earning five points.

Students will spend the entire day next Thursday at Jefferson Elementary School, Langendorf said.

If a house participates in a clothing drive, donates items to the HOPE center and donates toys or $15 for St. Jude, they earn three points. The points are used to determine which sorority and fraternity house wins Greek Week.

The theme, Greeks United Through Service, was chosen after winter break, Goodpaster said. Discussions between the Greek Week Overall co-chairs, including Goodpaster and Langendorf, and the Public Relations and Marketing committee ended with this year’s theme chosen, Goodpaster said.

“This theme differs from previous years because it reflects all of the amazing contributions made by these students during the week,” Goodpaster said.

Nora Maberry can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].

Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].