Photo by Kyle Vertin
AMANDA DEDIE
News Editor
While a majority of Fredonians were snug in their beds at 5 a.m. last Saturday, the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon were waiting outside the Williams Center bus stop in a chilly 32 degrees. During the whooping and chattering (of both words and teeth) of the members, a Christmas tree was on its way to be delivered.
The tree was to be set up in such a way that six people at a time could carry it on a 42-mile journey to Buffalo during the annual Tree Trot.
Yes, that’s correct — the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon (Sig Ep) carried the Christmas tree from the Williams Center to Lafayette Square in Buffalo. The tree goes to a family who does not have the means to decorate for Christmas due to other financial burdens.
The runners were up before dawn, ready to kick off the event at 5 a.m. The trip from the school to Buffalo usually takes about 12 hours, which includes breaks.
“It looks odd when you drive by on the highway but once people find out what you’re doing, they’re aware of the cause,” said Sean Murphy, a senior audio/video production major and vice president of programming for Sig Ep. “When you give the tree to that family, it makes it worth it.”
The fraternity, participating in Tree Trot for the 15th year, uses this event to collect donations for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA). BBBSA is a national organization that sets up children with an older mentor to help them realize their full potential and give them an older influence and role model.
The hope is that by running this tree to a family in Buffalo, the people funding, supporting and seeing the event will become aware of BBBSA and try to become more involved. However, the fraternity has run into some trouble with finding supporters and donators.
Alec Smith, a senior majoring in public relations and president of Sig Ep, explained those troubles.
“It used to be a lot bigger. It’s really gone down a lot in popularity over the past five or six years. There just isn’t a lot of publicity anymore, which is too bad, but we’re trying to change that. We run it because it’s different. No one runs to Buffalo for [42] miles, especially with a tree.”
Despite that, Smith remained positive. A smile stayed plastered to his face the entire time the group was waiting for the tree, despite the fact that he was sporting shorts in relatively cold weather. Nothing could break the positivity and excitement of the group.
“We’re running for something people can get involved in,” said Smith.
Murphy added, “It’s a great feeling. Last year we actually got to meet the family, and the woman [who received the tree] has a history of domestic abuse, and she had two little kids, and just seeing the kid’s faces was just the best part.”
Though some of the members had been running for years, there work a few new runners in the mix. Scott Boehnke, a freshman accounting major, talked about his worries regarding the run that were alleviated upon the start of Tree Trot.
“I’m really tired, but kind of excited! I was extremely nervous, when I first heard about the Tree Trot. I didn’t know how long the stretches of running would be. This is almost twice the length of a marathon.”
The brothers gathered together and, four at a time, grabbed hold of the piping and string supporting the tree and begin to trot. Every two miles, the runners switched out. Those who just ran got in a car that slowly followed the group. The participants rotate out until they reach their destination.
The event was bound to be tiring and freezing, but the brothers were determined to keep going until they got there.
“We have a saying that ‘the tree never stops,’ so you just keep going,” said Smith. “People come in and you hand it off and they just keep going.”