Saying thanks

By Katherine Parker

Transcript Staff Writer

University of Oklahoma fraternity Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) recently hosted a Spooky Sprint 5K and Carnival on Nov. 2 to raise funds for Community After School Program (CASP). This is the second year ATO has raised

• See CASP Page A7

CASP Be Fit Club coordinator Lindsey Ellis hands members Alpha Tau Omega with an award for their fundraising efforts. ATO hosted a carnival and 5K on Nov. 2 and raised more than $ 16,000 for CASP.

Kyle Phillips / The Transcript

• From Page A1

funds for CASP. On Tuesday, CASP honored ATO with a trophy recognizing its efforts.

“Occasionally we recognize community groups, organizations, fraternities or sororities that really go above and beyond for us,” said CASP Media Coordinator Chloe Kliewer.

Adam Wagner, signature event chair and senior at OU, said it took his committee about three months to plan the event.

“We decided to continue our efforts for CASP because we want to keep it local. A lot of us volunteer with CASP, and we’ve met the kids from different schools. It’s been really cool to see where our fundraising efforts go and how close to home our efforts can have an impact,” Wagner said. “For us, the bottom line was how much can we raise so that we can have the biggest impact for the kids. We started with a goal of $5,000, which would have been an improvement from the $2,000 we raised our first year.

“When I realized we were going to hit $15,000 that was a great day. I thought, ‘Let’s just see how high we can go.’ It’s been great to set the foundation for next year.”

This year ATO raised $16,085.48.

“When we revealed the check to CASP, the look on their faces, shock, joy and exhilaration, was exactly what I hoped for,” Wagner said.

The carnival offered a balloon pop, football toss, pumpkin paint, dunk tank, inflatables, ring toss and a variety of other common carnival games. Children were encouraged to dress up since the event was just after Halloween and a prize was given to best.

While community children had a great time at the carnival, their parents could run in the 5K. This year there were more than 140 runners. Wagner said that last year there were 78 runners and that his goal for next year is to have 200 runners participate.

“Because it’s for CASP, we wanted to encourage as many CASP families as possible to come out. We hold the carnival, so it can be a whole family affair,” Wagner said. “We really want the CASP kids to be able to be involved because it’s an event for them.”

Kliewer said CASP was very grateful to ATO for their fundraising efforts as the organization relies on grants and other donations for funding. The money raised by ATO will go into the organization’s general fund and may possibly be used for scholarships, Kliewer explained.

CASP is a local after school program that provides a safe, enriching environment for children while their parents are at work. For more information about CASP, visit caspinc.org.

Representatives of CASP and Alpha Tau Omega are shown with a novelty check for the amount of money ATO raised for the organization.

Kyle Phillips / The Transcript