Beta Theta Pi (Beta) held its first community basketball tournament Saturday afternoon, raising money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas.

The tournament was the first philanthropy event held by the fraternity since Beta’s return to campus in the spring of 2009. One team from Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta), two teams from Alpha Chi Omega (Alpha Chi) and one team from Chi Omega sororities competed in the tournament. Chi Omega was declared the winner after beating Alpha Chi in the first round and Theta in the finals.

“The event went great,” BetaPhilanthropy chair Al Young said. “It serves as a good jumping point for next year. My successor will be able to do bigger and better things for the Boys & Girls Clubs.”

Juany Valdespino-Gaytan, vice president of education for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, came to support the event. She spoke about volunteer opportunities for SMU students and the importance of the clubs in Dallas.

The Boys & Girls Clubs have five major goals for their program. They work on education and core development, character and leadership development, appreciation for the arts, as well as health and life skills. They also host programs for sports fitness and recreation. The clubs are designed as a way to positively influence children in low-income areas.

“When we get donations such as this, it goes towards resources for the kids like tutoring, math activities and recreation,” Valdespino-Gaytan said. “It could pay for the membership of some of our lower-income kids.”

There are 13 clubs in the greater Dallas area, and the money donated by the participating sororities and Beta will help children in areas like south Dallas, Grand Prairie and Oak Cliff.

“This philanthropy event is more than just about the Boys & Girls Clubs,” sophomore Beta member Alex Saucedo said. “It speaks volumes about what Greek life wants to do around our community.”

Beta wants to continue its volunteer work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas and hopes to expand the tournament to include the entire SMU community next year.

“It’s a really noble mission,” Young said. “Education for everyone is an integral part of the American dream. This is our way of helping in that fight.”

For more information on volunteering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, visit their website at www.bgcdallas.org.