First awarded for Greek Week overall: Kappa Delta and Sigma Phi Epsilon

Shannon Harper was shocked to walk up to the stage and receive her plaque for Greek Woman of the Year.

Heavily involved with the community and Greek Life, Harper participated in numerous community service projects and organizations.

Her memberships include Greek Week Steering Committee, order of Omega and Gamma Sigma Alpha and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.

Looking back on Harper’s four years of commitment to Alpha Gamma Delta, she realized the sorority helped her grow into the person she is today.

“It has helped me with everything,” said Harper, a senior communication disorder and sciences major. “Friendships, responsibility, sincere honor – like the sincerity of being proud of something.”

Mike Nowak was named Greek Man of the Year because of his continuous involvement and devotion to the Greek community.

He was involved in Relay of Life, Interfraternity Council, youth mentoring and coaching, and was Vice President of Standards and IFC President for two terms.

“Greek Man and Woman of the Year is a recognition of an individual’s contribution entirely throughout the year,” said Bob Dudolski, director of Greek Life. “The award is given to members of the Greek community who emphasized living out fraternal values on a daily basis.”

The banquet recognized multiple outstanding members and chapters and awarded scholarships.

Dudolski also awarded the top 10 fraternity and sorority members of the year.

“There are so many people qualified, we still need to give these people recognition as well,” he said.

Megan Dolan’s favorite Greek event of the year is attending the banquet.

“It’s such a great event to recognize every individual in Greek Week and Greek Life within the past year,” said Dolan, a senior early education major and overall chair in Greek Week Steering Committee.

Dolan was impressed with the committee’s devotion to Greek Week.

“They were phenomenal,” she said. “Everyone worked their fingers to the bone and got to know the people from other chapters. I’ve never worked with such wonderful people.”

The Greek community also raises money to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital each year.

This year, Greek Life raised more than $30,000, an increase of $12,952 from last year. Donations will continue to be taken until August.

Each chapter writes letters to friends and family requesting donations.

This year, about $14,000 was raised from the letter-writing campaign and about $16,000 was raised from philanthropy events sponsored by individual chapters.

Some chapters sponsored spaghetti dinners and silent auctions.

Sigma Phi Epsilon sent out additional fund-raising letters.

The fraternity sent out an additional 400 letters to families and businesses throughout central Illinois.

These letters raised an additional $3,195.

“Our goal was $2,500 and we were happy to make quite a bit over that,” said Jimmy Friesema, a junior business education major and president of Sigma Phi Epsilon. “It’s amazing how easy it is to help out a cause.”