Shack-a-thon

The University of Oklahoma’s student body seems to be constantly involved and active. From the Big Event in April to various philanthropies throughout the year, OU students (Greek and non-Greek alike) continue to serve the community they live in for four years while in school. The Greek students are particularly known for being involved in philanthropies and fund-raising events, such as Shack-a-thon, which begins Tuesday, October 25 and goes through Wednesday, October 26, may be the largest of the sort.

Shack-a-thon is an annual event at the University of Oklahoma that raises money for the Cleveland County Habitat For Humanity. All money raised is used to support struggling families in the Norman area. Fraternities and sororities team up with each other and build a “shack” creatively composed of cardboard boxes, wood and any other materials they can make fit together. The students begin building Tuesday morning and keep watch of their shacks overnight. Wednesday, they sit outside of them on the University of Oklahoma’s south oval lawn and ask other students walking by to pitch in some change.

“The hours are long and it takes a lot out of you, but its well worth it in the end,” said Dustin Gallup, an OU student who is involved in the human relations department of Habitat For Humanity. “This is my first year working for Habitat, but so far this is the most significant event for us that I’ve seen, as far as student participation.”

Anyone who is interested in the Cleveland County Habitat For Humanity and the other events they support can visit cchfh.org or contact Tracy Curtis, Director of Operations at tracy@cchfh.org.