Greek Week is an event “that basically pays for itself,” said Jodi Matheny, a senior family and consumer sciences major.

Matheny, a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, Eric Baker, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Steve Udowitz, a member of Beta Theta Pi, are serving as the 2011 Greek Week Overalls.

For this year, the committee had a little more than $7,000 budget for planning.

Each member of the 27 Greek societies participating in the week’s events is charged a $4 fee. The proceeds from this fee go to funding the week’s events and were due before spring break.

Although some of the smaller chapters may charge the $4 fee to each individual, some of the larger chapters already have an allocated fund for Greek Week participation, Matheny said.

Greek Sing and Air Band, two of the week’s biggest crowd grabbers, charge audience members an attendance fee. The proceeds from last year’s ticket sales also go into the Greek Week budget.

One of the biggest costs associated with Greek Week involves renting sound and lighting equipment for these events.

Rob Curtis, a junior kinesiology and sports studies major, is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and serves as the chairman of the Air Band and Greek Sing Committee.

Curtis said this year the committee will be renting both lighting and sound equipment through Z’s Music and Sound System Services, 606 Jackson Ave., for about $5,000. However, for the first time this year Greeks will have access to the sound equipment for the Air Band dress rehearsal.

In past years, performers would have to use a boom box for the dress rehearsal, Curtis said.

The committee has used Z’s music for past Greek Weeks and they will be present working the equipment throughout the weekend, Curtis added.

Another chunk of the budget goes to planning the Greek awards banquet on April 13. Matheny said in order to cut costs, the committee decided to only serve dessert instead of a full meal at the banquet.

Jen Ponstein, a junior family and consumer sciences major and member of Alpha Gamma Delta, serves on the Awards and Banquet Committee for Greek Week.

Ponstein said the committee is working with Panther Catering to coordinate the banquet. Based on a count of 400 attendees, Panther Catering charges $1,164 for dessert, refreshments and linens use.

The committee will also order the plaques for the awards through Nancy’s Lettering Shop, 1115 Lincoln Ave., but an exact cost has not yet been determined.

Ponstein said she is excited to be one of the coordinators for the event because her concentration is in hospitality management. She agrees with Matheny that the process has not been a stressful one.

“I want to go into event planning and I enjoy being a representative for my sorority,” Ponstein said. “The process will only get really stressful the week of and after Greek Week when the final preparations will need to be made for the banquet.”

Since this is her last Greek Week, Matheny said the work she put into the week has its rewards.

“During Greek Week, the hard work definitely pays off to see the members’ faces and how they love what they are doing,” Matheny said. “It’s definitely worth it.”

Shelley Holmgren can be reached at 581-7942 or meholmgren@eiu.edu