The Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity hosted their annual FIJI Islander on the President’s lawn last Saturday. The afternoon event collected proceeds for the United Services Organization (USO) and The Katie Oppo Research Fund.
The event started at noon and ended at 6 p.m., offering alternative entertainment to the Homecoming men’s lacrosse game. Headlining the event was the band Natural Child, which was recently ranked at 21 in Buzzfeed’s Top 30 Upcoming Bands.
“The Islander was not overly packed, but there was a very high attendance. This allowed for a very relaxed atmosphere where everyone could enjoy themselves,” said freshman Jackie Marin.
The FIJI Islander is more than just a concert: it plays a major role in FIJI’s philanthropic endeavors. The fraternity was able to raise over $2,200 for the Katie Oppo Research Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for ovarian cancer research. Furthermore, the FIJI Islander raised more than $1,000 for the USO, FIJI’s national partner.
One way in which FIJI was able to raise money was through the FIJI Islander Princess Pageant. Sophomore Sophie Heitmiller, senior Phillips Mitchell, freshman Samantha Fink, sophomore Lauren Day and freshman Nicolette Rouqué all competed in the third annual pageant. All the girls, excepting Mitchell, were representatives from different sororities on campus; the student able to get people to donate the most money in their name won the crown. All of the proceeds went to the Katie Oppo Research Fund.
This year, Mitchell, the unaffiliated candidate, took the FIJI Islander Princess crown.
“I love fundraising and any sort of philanthropic event. So as a senior, FIJI Princess was a must-win title for me,” Mitchell said.
The event was also a means for students and alumni to come together during alumni weekend.
“It was great to see all the alumni at the FIJI Islander. Since my cousins are Hopkins alumni, I was able to attend the event with them. It was nice to see so many people together,” said freshman Keely Herring.
Senior Michael Kimmelman was the chief organizer of the FIJI Islander.
“Fiji chooses to have an on-campus event because on-campus events draw the largest crowds and therefore raise more money for charity. Additionally, on-campus events represent our commitment to the entire Johns Hopkins community,” Kimmelman said. “During Homecoming especially, alumni want to spend as much time on campus as possible, so we try to cater to them and make them feel at home.”
