Members of GW’s Greek-letter community tossed and raced with empty beer kegs Tuesday afternoon on the National Mall at the first-annual Keg Olympics to benefit Students Against Destructive Decisions.

The event, co-sponsored by the Tau Kappa Epsilon and Theta Delta Chi fraternities, was open to all fraternities and sororities on campus. About 75 members of the Greek-letter community attended the event that will raise more than $300 for SADD, an organization that educates students about alcohol and drug abuse, once the events’ sponsors pay the organizations.

“I think this is a great event,” said Jason Blank, Tau Kappa Epsilon member and event organizer. “It’s for alcohol awareness, and it shows that the Greek community can do something good.”

The events were divided into seven teams in a fraternity and sorority
division.

Students said they enjoyed the events, which included a keg roll, a keg toss and an “izzy dizzy” or “busy bat” relay in which students spun around and tried to carry a keg across a field. The final event was a keg race in which six-member teams from each fraternity and sorority carried a keg from the Mall to Kogan Plaza. All of the events used empty kegs donated by Foggy Bottom Brewery.

“It’s beautiful out, what’s better than throwing kegs in the sun?” said junior Ali Koles, a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority.

Freshman Josh Levine from Sigma Phi Epsilon, who won the
fraternity division of the keg toss with a throw of 25 feet, 10 inches, said his technique was “all about momentum.”

Blank said no fraternities or sororities were required to attend, but some decided to pay the $75 to $100 entry fee as a donation, even if they could not attend. The entry fee depended on whether the fee was received before a certain date.

After the last race the groups went home and returned for a barbecue on Kogan Plaza, where the results were announced at the barbecue that included a table set up by SADD.

Sigma Phi Epsilon came in first in the fraternity division, and Alpha Delta Pi won the sorority division.

Blank said the winning chapters would receive an empty keg for a prize – one keg will be painted with Tau Kappa Epsilon colors and the other with Theta Delta Chi colors. Blank said the names of winners added to the keg each year. The kegs would be stored in the Student Activities Center office, and the winners could bring them out and show them off during recruitment week.

Joan Corboys, a SADD representative, who manned a table at the barbeque said SADD has helped reduce the number of drunk-driving fatalities. The number of young people who die every day in drunk driving accidents has decreased from 15 in 1980, to six today. “But of course that’s still too many,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking to lose a child.”