Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity — Washington Epsilon chapter hosted its home run derby April 26. The derby is a way to get the campus community involved in the fraternity’s annual Iron Phi philanthropy event.

The derby raised $125, totaling about $5,800 so far for the Iron Phi philanthropy. Iron Phi is the annual philanthropy event that the national Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity and its chapters host each year. All donations go toward the international fraternity’s philanthropy: the ALS Association.

“The concept of Iron Phi was developed as a way to strengthen both Phi Delta Theta and its impact on the fight against Lou Gehrig’s disease,” according to the Iron Phi website.

Brandon Hoff, Phi Delta Theta chapter president, said his chapter contacted family, friends and businesses by email and phone to request donations. These contacts and the home run derby equal the $5,800 already raised by the event.

It cost $2 per person and $8 per five person team to participate in the home run derby. “You get five outs to hit as many home runs as you can,” said Hoff.

For both the individual and team brackets, winners would advance who hit the most softball home runs. There were prizes for those who placed first, second and third places in either bracket.

To support the ALS Association in its mission, fraternity members can become an Iron Phi by completing an athletic effort of their choice and raising $1,000 through the Iron Phi website for the ALS Association. The Washington Epsilon’s athletic endeavor is a 170-mile run from Cheney to Moses Lake.

There is a kicakoff barbeque May 1, to start the run. According to the Facebook event, attendees can purchase food for $3 and $1 for raffle tickets at the barbeque.

After the barbeque, members will begin their run. On May 1, they will run until sundown and then drive back to Cheney. The next morning, they will start running again at 5 a.m. from where they had left off the evening before. They will run to a campground in Moses Lake and camp there May 2t. Then May 3 they will run until they arrive at the monument around 2 p.m. for a total of 172 miles.