Who we are:
The WLB is an annuel philanthropy event, sponsored by The Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, The Buckeye BBQ Qlub, and Buckeyes Give Back, where we literally run a barbecue for an entire week, 24 hours a day (you can find us there making burgers at 4 am!). The partnership between the organizations started three years ago with the goal of having a twenty-four hours cookout… that idea quickly evolved and we have become an established philanthropic event on campus.
Why we grill:
Each year the organization focuses on a different philanthropic project, a different social issue that the groups collaborate on and want to help. Last year the organization raised close to $20,000 for the James Cancer Research Hospital, located on the OSU campus. This year we are focusing our attention to the issue of hunger, and working with the Mid Ohio Food Bank, an organization that is able to buy in bulk to feed hungry families in central Ohio. We are also focusing on other national and international food banks via AEPi’s national philanthropies. ”We find it important to help and work on the issue at all levels, locally, nationally, and internationally…. by promoting awareness and raising money, we can have a huge impact.”
How do we do it:
It takes a lot of planning, coordinating, and scheduling to put on an event like this. Luckily we have guys who have planned the event before and guide the newer members onto how to do it. We coordinate with the Ohio State University, working with the Union, campus dining, USG, and the Wexner Center. We also look for grants from AEPi nationals, service grants, donations from local business and other organizations.
Every brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi works a minimum for 5 hours during the week (most work many more than that) and the Grill Team from the BBQ Qlub works in shifts to make the BBQ run smoothly. Its a lot of work but the payoff is huge. We are expecting to raise upwards of $20,000 this year.
The BBQ:
The BBQ will start at noon, Tuesday May 8th and run until Sunday May 13th.
Suggested donations for food are posted at the BBQ, usually running from $1 to $3 depending on the order.
We will also be running our first ever Bar Crawl, Saturday May 12th. Participates can buy a wristband (ticket) to the crawl at anytime during the BBQ for $3 or they can purchase one on the day of the crawl for $5. The bar crawl will allow you entry to 6 bars on Saturday and access to great drink speacils, in which part of the profit is donated to our philanthropy.