PBHA Raises Needed Funds

Philips Brooks House Association (PBHA) and Ben and Jerry’s raised $2,052 yesterday for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by collecting donations in front of the Science Center.

In exchange for a donations of $3 or more to benefit victims of last week’s terrorist attacks, students received scoops of ice cream or chocolate-covered Peace Pops, donated by Ben and Jerry’s of Harvard Square. Volunteers with the PBHA-sponsored program, Peace Pops, will continue to collect donations infront of the Science Center today from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“This is really what the Red Cross needs—not food, not blood, not clothing,” said Laura Clancy ’02-’03, the coordinator of fundraising programs at PBHA. “They need money for search and rescue operations and for long-term efforts like mental health counseling .”

Christi D. Tran, ’04, and Brian J Queen, the manager of Ben and Jerry’s in Harvard Square, came up with the idea for the fundraiser. Tran noted that PBHA does not usually raise money for political ends and emphasized the humanitarian goals of Peace Pops.

“We’re thinking about the families who have lost everything and the rescue efforts. This is more humanistic than political,” she said.

Ben and Jerry’s donated four two-and-a-half gallon tubs of ice cream and 20 cases of ice cream bars for the fundraising initiative.

“When everything went down last week, it wasn’t a question whether we would help out. We had to,” Queen said.

And students seemed to enjoy the ice cream in exchange for their donations.

“It’s really important to support the Red Cross. [Donating to] this drive is definitely the least I could do,” said Tad A. Fallows ’02, as he selected his favorite flavor of Peace Pop, Phish Food.

But the ice cream was the icing on the cake, so to speak, for most.

“I was going to donate anyway, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it,” said Richard C. Chiburis, ’02, after tasting his Cookie Dough ice cream.

Other students, like Joe S. Hong ’05, decided to add money to the donation jar while skipping the free ice cream.

“I just wasn’t in the ice cream mood,” Hong said.

The ice cream sale is only one of many fundraisers currently being coordinated by PBHA to benefit the Red Cross. Clancy said PBHA hopes to raise $10,000 by Thursday. In addition to organizing the ice cream sale, PBHA volunteers have placed donation jars in Annenberg, upperclass Houses and administrative offices and departments.