The brothers of Binghamton University’s Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity were literally moving forward for breast cancer research last week as they rolled a barrel from Syracuse to Binghamton.
Friday, May 1, was the fraternity’s 27th annual barrel roll, according to Michael Sokol, executive vice president of TKE and event organizer.
“Each year we do it for a different charity,” he said. “There have been brothers in the family whose mothers have died from breast cancer, so we decided to donate to a breast cancer fund.”
The Breast Cancer Research Fund happily benefited from the event, Lucretia Gilbert, associate director of the BCRF, said.
“We chose this one because they gave 85 cents for every dollar donated,” Sokol said.
This year, TKE raised $8,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Fund, donated by sponsors of the event.
Sponsors such as Rocco J. Testani Distributors and the Off Campus College Council were to thank for the accomplishment, as each organization on TKE’s banner donated $100 in cash or in the form of raffle prizes and T-shirts.
The journey began at 3 a.m., starting at a McDonald’s near the Onondaga Indian Reservation in Syracuse.
“Every 10 miles there were different policemen checking up on us. We rolled on the shoulder of Route 11. When we got to Front Street and beyond, we were escorted by the police,” Sokol said.
Each member of the fraternity would switch places from rolling the barrel after they got tired, resting in a moving car along the shoulder of the road.
Sokol, a junior cinema major, thanked the police departments of Binghamton University, the city of Binghamton, Johnson City, Vestal and New York state. Furthermore, he said that the event could not have been organized without the rolling permits from the Office of the Binghamton City Clerk, and the efforts of the graduate greek advisers, Matt Elmes and Ariana Axelrod.
“The TKE roll was an amazing experience … having to rely on each other, it was the culmination of many weeks,” Mike O’Connell, TKE brother and a sophomore philosophy major, said.
When the brothers returned to BU at 3 p.m. from their arduous journey, the weary barrel pushers found themselves greeted by a cheering crowd with a barbecue catered by Sodexo and paid for by the fraternity.
The event was planned in a sparse three weeks by Sokol.
“The amount of time wasn’t going to stop me from making this the best year ever,” he said. “All the brothers of TKE came together and worked hard to make this possible.”
The fraternity won an XCEL award last week for their efforts with the event.
Last year, TKE rolled for a fallen brother, Lt. Louis Allen, who died in Iraq. “The family said thank you and told us to raise money for a different charity,” Sokol said.
The barrel roll is ultimately the culmination of the three principles of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sokol said. “We want to thank everyone who donated, and I want to thank them for helping us express our three obligations: love, charity and esteem.”