Grand Valley State University fraternities Delta Sigma Pi and Delta Upsilon and recreational group Just Tennis used euchre’s popularity among Michiganders as an opportunity to raise funds and hosted their very first Ultimate Euchre Tournament at the Kirkhof Center during the weekend.

Overall winners received an engraved gold medal and a $20 pre-paid debit card.

Runners up received silver medals and $10 pre-paid debit cards.

“It would be ideal to have over 30 teams, giving $100 to each group,” Mitch Burdick of Delta Upsilon and Just Tennis said before the event.

Each team paid $10 to enter the euchre tourmanent. The money was split up evenly between the three groups.

Delta Sigma Pi’s used the funds for their LEAD regional conference in South Bend, Ind., next weekend, Delta Upsilon donated to Global Service Initiative, which helps build schools in third-world countries, and Just Tennis’ portion went into general funding for the group.

With three different groups organizing the event, it took a lot of work for each person involved.

“It was really about communication between all three organizations,” Burdick said. “We may joke around, but we can also get down to business.”

The planning of the event began in Fall 2010, when Jeff Winther of Delta Sigma Pi came up with the idea. Winther started by writing a letter to every casino in Michigan and after three donations, he ended up with 320 decks of cards.

With failed attempts collaborating with other groups in addition to his study abroad trip to Spain, the event was delayed.

When Winther began talking with a member of Delta Upsilon, he got into contact with Burdick, who had been beginning to organize a similar event since July.

Winther and Burdick wanted more organizations involved and because Burdick was a member of Just Tennis, John Rojowski, the group’s president, became involved as well.

“From there, we decided to work together in an attempt to make it the biggest Euchre Tournament ever,” Winther said. “Maybe the six degrees of separation concept led to us working together, I don’t know. But it’s amazing what the power of a well written letter and a new friend can do when you’ve got an idea.”

The planning as well as the event itself has proven to be nothing but a positive experience for the guys, they said.

“It was good to be able to help Delta Upsilon and Delta Sigma Pi,” Rojowski said. “Getting involved with fraternities is good for us to get our name out into the community.”

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