Kappa-Psi Raises Money in Memory of Fallen Frater
One year after the tragic death of one of its Fraters, Ricardo "Rico" Petrillo, the Kappa-Psi Chapter (Quinnipiac University) gathered once again to pay tribute to their fallen brother by playing dodgeball.
"Dodgeball was Rico's favorite event to do during rush and he always had an outfit to wear for the event," said Frater Scott Wormser, a senior. "He was really passionate about recruiting new guys so we knew dodgeball would be a perfect event honoring him."
The men of Kappa-Psi held its second annual Ricardo Petrillo Dodgeball Tournament in the recreation center on campus where more than 50 teams and 400 people merged to play dodgeball and keep the spirit of Petrillo alive.
Frater Petrillo was a Quinnipiac University sophomore who died Sept. 18, 2005 after falling three stories from a Hilltop apartment.
The proceeds from the tournament will go towards a scholarship fund in Petrillo's name.
"All proceeds from the tournament will be deposited into the Ricardo Petrillo Scholarship Fund, which will be distributed through the TKE Education Foundation," said Ryan Hagenbuch, a junior.
This was the second tournament held in memory of Petrillo. The first took place last semester and was run by the new members of Kappa-Psi. It was required that the fraternity have a principal of $5,000 in the account before it could award a scholarship. TKE has already exceeded that amount and hopes to keep increasing it by next semester when the scholarship will be awarded to a Quinnipiac student.
"After the tournament and everyone's generosity, we now have over $8,000 in the fund between both tournaments," Hagenbuch said. "We hope to give out our first scholarship this spring."
"The qualifications for the scholarship will be determined soon by both the fraternity and the Petrillo family," Wormser said.
This year's tournament raised $6,574, including a $5,000 donation from Petrillo's family. Petrillo's father Claudio, mother Silvia, sister Ana, brother Gabe, and cousin Jose came to the tournament wearing the t-shirt created for the event.
The t-shirts, designed by TKE sophomore Rick Wallace, were white with red writing and a silhouette of a person throwing a dodgeball. The back read: "The ties that bind each heart of us, become a living part of us."
Hagenbuch hopes that the tournament will continue to help the campus remember Petrillo.
"Rico's family, as well as TKE, is fully committed to keeping Rico's spirit very much alive here at Quinnipiac," he said.
University administrators and staff members also demonstrated their support for the Kappa-Psi Chapter.
"The student center staff was behind us every step of the way," Wormser said. "They supported us throughout the day, which was important because we were remembering a best friend and brother while putting together an event."
The winning team for the tournament was comprised of TKE alumni who competed as "Team Miguel." The brothers on the winning team decided to give their prize to the second place team, which consisted of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity members.
Adapted from The Quinnipiac Chronicle. If you would like to see your chapter news here, contact Communications Coordinator Tom McAninch.