Philanthropy is defined as the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes. Whether the unaffiliated population chooses to accept it or not, philanthropy is one of the main aspects of Greek life all across the country. Most schools have an entire day of recruitment devoted to potential new members learning about each chapter's specific philanthropy. It is an understatement to say that we, as a Greek community, love philanthropies. However, why exactly is that? Here are five reasons why we love philanthropies.

1. Helping Others

This is the main and most obvious reason. Ultimately, we do it to help others and make the world a better place. It's not a secret that the world that we live in is full of tragedies, but that doesn't mean that we should give up hope and stop trying to help. Sororities and fraternities across the country are playing their parts in something that is much bigger than themselves. They are helping with everything, including improving literacy rates, donating to the USO, fighting to end domestic violence, Autism advocacy and research, Alzheimer's disease research, and breast cancer research. It may seem small in the grand scheme of the world, but it's everything to the people who are helped.

2. Sisterhood/Brotherhood Bonding

There's a lot of planning that goes into creating a successful philanthropy event and no one can do it all alone. Whether you are on the philanthropy committee of your chapter, acting as another chapter's coach for the philanthropy, or the philanthropy chair of your chapter, there is going to be a lot to get done. Your sisters and/or brothers will lean on you and each other during times of stress and they will be there to cheer everyone on when the event ultimately succeeds.

3. Greek Unity

Depending on the university, there can be hundreds or maybe even thousands of people in the Greek community, so it is nearly impossible to know everyone. Philanthropies, especially when all chapters participate or support, allow everyone to meet new people. This not only fosters friendship, but it also strengthens the relationships between all of the chapters on campus.

4. Healthy Competition

Whether it's about which chapter raises the most money, which chapter wins Miss/Mr. [insert chapter name here], or which chapter comes in first in all of the events, there is going to be competition. Healthy competition between chapters makes everyone work harder so that they can win and that helps to raise more money for the cause at hand.

5. It's Fun

There's nothing better than participating in field day games, softball games, skits, and bonding with members of your chapter and other chapters to raise money for a good cause.

If you're a student at UNLV, please come out and support Sigma Kappa's Theta Eta chapter's Ultraviolet philanthropy. It will be held on April 14, 2016, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the UNLV's Academic Mall. All contributions made during this event will benefit the following philanthropies: Sigma Kappa Foundation, Inherit the Earth, Gerontology research, Maine Sea Coast Mission, and Alzheimer's research.