May 6, 2022
Life At Witt

Giving Back to the Springfield Community

Beta Theta Pi Fraternity Hosted School Supply Drive For Hayward Middle School

Wittenberg’s Beta Theta Pi fraternity recently hosted a two-week-long school supply drive from April 18-29 for Hayward Middle School as its philanthropy project.

The idea to give to Hayward, a middle school in the Springfield City School District, came from fellow Beta brother, Jacob Durmis, class of 2023 from Corry, Pennsylvania, who completed his community service for Wittenberg at the school.

Members of the fraternity collected school supplies, backpacks, paper, writing utensils, art supplies, hygiene supplies, and other items for Hayward students.

“We are thankful to give back to the Wittenberg community,” said Nick Brown, class of 2024, from Fairborn, Ohio, and vice president of philanthropy for Beta Theta Pi. “It felt great to see the smiles on the faces of the administrators at Hayward Middle School. I’m glad we could fill a need in our community and I’m thankful to our great University for helping us!”

Fraternity members placed drop-off boxes in Hollenbeck Hall, Blair Hall, the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center, and the Benham-Pence Student Center. Professors and students were contacted to contribute.

“With it being later in the semester, we were able to receive new and barely used items from students and professors,” said Jonathan Golden, class of 2024, from Weirton, West Virginia, and vice president of recruitment for Beta Theta Pi. “On the behalf of the fraternity, we donated $400 in supplies ourselves. When donating to Hayward, they were really pleased and impressed with the number of items and our overall contribution. As a fraternity, one of our main values is intellectual growth and service. We saw this as a great opportunity since growing really starts with the schools before college.”

Beta Theta Pi has been at Wittenberg since 1867 and always looks to support the Springfield community through its manpower, organizational skills, and financial contributions. 

Recitation Hall
University Communications Staff
Staff Report

About Wittenberg

Wittenberg's curriculum has centered on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual's capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination. We are dedicated to active, engaged learning in the core disciplines of the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education grounded in the liberal arts. Known for the quality of our faculty and their teaching, Wittenberg has more Ohio Professors of the Year than any four-year institution in the state. The university has also been recognized nationally for excellence in community service, sustainability, and intercollegiate athletics. Located among the beautiful rolling hills and hollows of Springfield, Ohio, Wittenberg offers more than 100 majors, minors and special programs, enviable student-faculty research opportunities, a unique student success center, service and study options close to home and abroad, a stellar athletics tradition, and successful career preparation.

Back to top