Since 2007, brothers at the University of Delaware have worked alongside the Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority to support the B+ Foundation, an organization that provides financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer nationwide. SigEp and AEPhi raised $8,000 in the first year. Last year, their annual UDance Dance Marathon event raised nearly $1.3 million. The chapter has its eyes set on surpassing that this weekend.

The B+ Foundation partners with students around the country to organize philanthropic events such as dance marathons, spin-a-thons and 5Ks, to raise awareness and money in the battle against childhood cancer.

“The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation was started in 2007 following the tragic passing of my 14-year-old son to leukemia,” said McDonough. “Andrew’s blood type, and the way he lived, was ‘B+’.”

When McDonough heard about the small dance marathon organized by SigEp and AEPhi at Delaware, he jumped on it and wanted to contribute to its growth.

“I approached AEPhi and SigEp and asked if they would be willing to partner with us”, McDonough said. “They generously agreed, and The B+ Foundation brought the 51-page ‘how-to’ manual into place, secured a larger room, brought in the media and elected officials, and perhaps most importantly, started The B+ Heroes Program.”

The B+ Heroes Program pairs a B+ Hero (child with cancer) with groups on campus. The program now has 50 B+ Heroes paired at Delaware, but the very first B+ Hero at UDance was Joey Borowski, who McDonough paired with SigEp.

“Joey isn’t just our first Hero B+,” said vice president of communications Greg Ruby, Delaware, ’18. “He was the first Hero B+ ever paired with anyone.”

The chapter has been with Joey through thick and thin—since his initial diagnosis at age 9, a second diagnosis several years later and a bone marrow transplant.

Joey proudly wears SigEp letters at school, and the chapter is proud to consider him a brother.

McDonough notes that if his son Andrew had had the chance to attend Delaware, he’d have been proud for Andrew to join the SigEp chapter. The chapter was fortunate enough to not have just one hero, Joey Borowski, but to have another in Joe McDonough. Just as Joe has thanked the chapter for its contributions to B+, the chapter took steps to initiate McDonough as a Renaissance brother. He was tremendously honored.

“I have a great deal of respect for the men of SigEp at the University of Delaware and other chapters around the country,” he said. “It was very flattering.”

The UDance organization has more than 120 teams signed up this year—about 20 more than last year. A board of 66 members runs the event, Ruby said. “The board includes eight SigEps.”

The chapter has already surpassed last year’s total of $28,000. It’s currently in second place among fraternities.

Adam Cantley, Oklahoma State Renaissance, and associate dean of students at the University of Delaware, said the chapter has raised over $30,000 this year alone, and is a strong part of the UDance movement and history at Delaware.

“I’m happy to work on campus, where SigEp is part of our community,” said Cantley. “Before I was in my current role, I managed fraternity and sorority programming at Delaware. The chapter has active alumni who support them, and I have offered any support when needed.”

“In 2015, UDance was actually the sixth largest dance marathon in the country, said McDonough. “There is great pride in being so large, but more importantly, it translates into a tremendous opportunity to impact the lives of families of kids with cancer and fund cutting-edge childhood cancer research.”

For this chapter, philanthropy means more than just a semester of events. The brothers at Delaware view philanthropy as part of their identity, their driving force and the source of their brotherhood. Community outreach has expanded what brotherly love means for these men, and with UDance a few days away, they hope to beat last year’s fundraising.

The 10th annual UDance is scheduled for this Saturday, March 12 on the University of Delaware campus.