As Halloween approaches, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council (PHC) are thinking of more than just parties, costumes and candy. IFC and PHC teamed up Wednesday to host Trick-or-Treat on Greek Street, an event where kids from Trinity River Mission had the opportunity to trick-or-treat on fraternity and sorority rows.

The event hosted around 125 kids and began at 4 p.m. in the Varsity. Volunteers from PHC decorated Halloween bags and shared pizza with the children before they were sent out to trick-or-treat.

Matthew Mazur, president of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, believes IFC plays a critical role in providing service.

“SMU has a long history of interaction with the local community. The events that IFC has put together will further enrich that tradition,” Mazur said.

“[The] Trick-or-Treat on Greek Street event is a safe, fun environment where parents can take their children to experience all the joys of Halloween without worrying about potentially unsafe neighborhoods.”

Student Body President and IFC member Jake Torres began the Trick-or-Treat on Greek Street event last year.

“I lived in a fraternity house my sophomore year, and when Halloween came around, I realized that nobody goes to fraternity houses to trick-or-treat,” Torres said.”The guys that live in fraternity houses truly view their houses as their homes, and they take pride in their houses and want to share them with the community,” he said.

“I hope that it will become one of the most well-known community service events done by any campus organization,” he said.

But trick-or-treating is not the only event IFC is hosting this week.  

It will also host over 250 Special Olympic athletes for the Special Olympics Volleyball Tournament in the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m this Saturday.

“The Special Olympics Volleyball Tournament is really a showcase of just how talented these athletes really are. We are merely providing the assistance for this fantastic event to take place,” Mazur said.

Paul Sharpe, vice president of community service for IFC, believes it is vital that IFC gives back to the community.

“The strength of IFC is its ability to mobilize the entire Greek community and host large-scale service projects,” Sharpe said. “It is vital that IFC continues to give back because we have such a large impact on the Dallas community.”

Mike Alberts, president of IFC, feels that not only does the community benefit from the festivities IFC is hosting this week, but so does IFC itself.

“We are able to host groups on our beautiful campus that might not be able to compete on such professional grade athletics facilities or trick-or-treat in such a safe environment without us,” Alberts said. “We are able to not only donate our facilities, but we are able to donate our time and efforts, which keeps us grounded in realizing what we are blessed to have.”

Although IFC is hosting these two events, sororities are also giving back to the community this weekend.

Alex Meaker, president of Delta Gamma sorority (DG), said that in addition to helping with Trick-or-Treat on Greek Street, DG will be playing with children as their eyes are dilated.

“On Saturday we will attend an elementary school where kids are receiving free vision screenings for glasses,” Meaker said.

“I think it will be great!  It is so fun to help those in need and even more meaningful when it is related to our national foundation, Service for Sight.”

Other sororities impacting the community this week are Chi Omega with their Fashion for a Passion event, benefiting The Make-a-Wish Foundation this past Wednesday, and Delta Delta Delta with their Delta Diner Café, which is being held tonight to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.