The Alpha Delta Phi fraternity will continue its long-standing tradition this Saturday, Nov.18, as it hosts what Playboy Magazine once rated the best party in the Ivy League. An ongoing tradition for over 70 years, the Victory Club Charity Ball is an event geared towards furthering the involvement of Cornell’s Greek system in the Ithaca community.
The charity ball “is a night of dancing, gambling and partying,” according to Ben Heinz ’03, assistant chair of Victory Club.
The Victory Club event has raised varying amounts of money in the past, from approximately $800 in 1986-1987 to over $10,000 in 1988-1989. The money has been donated to different projects and charities in the Ithaca community. Proceeds this year will go to the Ithaca Fire Department.
The On-site Volunteers, a student-run non-profit agency that recently initiated the Greek Challenge, will aid Alpha Delta Phi in the staffing and organization of the event.
“We started the Greek Challenge as an initiative to get the Greek system involved in philanthropy and to promote them in taking an interest in the community,” said Kyle Youngquist ’02, Onsite’s director of agency relations.
Onsite hopes to raise $10,000 and 30,000 hours of community service from the Greek community, he said.
In addition to earning money for charity, the organizers have some other goals in mind.
“The event is open to anyone in the community. We hope that students and faculty alike will come out and have a wonderful time. It will be an exciting night of music, dancing and philanthropy, and we’re looking forward to it,” said Tom Chandy ’02, Victory Club chair.
According to Victory Club co-chair August Roth ’01, “The Victory Club goes as far back as World War I, when the members of the fraternity organized a club to raise money for allied war bonds.”
The initial prosperity of the club halted in 1919 due to Prohibition. “After it was driven underground, Victory Club flourished as a speakeasy and developed its present extravagant character during those roaring 1920s,” Heinz said. “It finally reemerged in the 1970s with a legal gambling license and has varied in size, frequency and exclusiveness over the past 70 years.”
Tickets for this black-tie event are on-sale at the Straight box office and are $60 for couples and $35 for singles. The price includes a limousine to the event, food, music and entertainment, which will consist of two live bands and two a capella groups.
Archived article by Aylin Tanyeri