W&L's 26th Annual Lip Sync Contest Benefits Local Food Orgs
Students Against Rockbridge Area Hunger (SARAH), a Washington and Lee student organization, raised $8,500 for local food organizations through the University’s 26th annual Lip Sync Contest in late January.
Proceeds from the event were distributed to Natural Bridge/Glasgow Food Pantry (NBGFP), Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA), and Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee. Due to the success of the event, contributions to all of the organizations came in above last year’s level, with RARA receiving $5,950, NBGFP getting $1,700, and Campus Kitchen, which received support from the contest for the first time, collecting $850.
Joey Brown, a senior from Germantown, Tenn., Perry Given, a junior from Birmingham, Ala., and Chaz Patrick, a sophomore from Palmyra, Va., organized Lip Sync this year.
SARAH president Brown said the students decided to support all three organizations because a significant number of people rely on their services. “This is one of the only events at the University where all the fraternities and sororities can get together and contribute to one local, significant cause,” he said. “These hunger-relief efforts depend on generous contributions from the community, and Lip Sync is a great way for students to contribute.”
The Lip Sync Contest was founded by Jerry Darrell, the long-time head of W&L’s food services who remains a Rockbridge County resident. His efforts to raise money for area hunger relief allowed Lip Sync to prosper. He has become an advisor to SARAH and has helped the team determine how to allocate its funds.
“I’m so proud of what SARAH has accomplished and the contribution it has made over the past 25-plus years,” said Darrell. “The local pantries so heavily rely on the generosity of W&L students, especially the largest pantry, RARA.”
Darrell was even able to drop into the event this year, the first time since he retired. “I was so pleased with the turnout of the acts and spectators and the usual great enthusiasm,” he said.
Thirty teams participated in Lip Sync, with well over 300 people in attendance this year. About 90 percent of the participants were first-year students. Brown noted that the event “is a great bonding experience for them, because it is usually right after they have pledged to join a new fraternity or sorority.” The event was held in the Pavilion on Jan. 27.
— by Heyward Brockinton ’12
News Contact:
Jeffery G. Hanna
Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs
jhanna@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8459
