Theta Chi at the University of Idaho participates in their national philanthropy, GI Theta Chi, to raise money for a nonprofit called The United Service Organization that helps support troops across seas and their families, by creating a military-like obstacle course that members of sororities at the university participated in.

GI Theta Chi is a national Theta Chi philanthropy that helps raise money for the United Service Organization (USO), an American organization that helps connect military families and helps support men and women across seas. The money that is raised from the philanthropy creates the ability for troops to connect to their loved ones through multiple services, helps support widows of those who have committed the ultimate sacrifice, sends care packages to those who serve and much more. Theta Chi at the University of Idaho created an obstacle course simulating a boot camp environment that sorority women run through to help support the cause.

While Theta Chi has nationally supported the USO for a couple years, it didn't come to the University of Idaho until last year when Brandon Bledsoe, a now senior in Theta Chi and at the university decided to bring the philanthropy to campus.

"I heard about it when I was a sophomore, and it sounded cool. I wanted to bring it to the campus to leave an impression here and see it make an impact," Bledsoe said.

Theta Chi and other donator's generosities to the USO help deliver popular items such as care packages, one of the many ways the USO helps the troops. Packages include games, sports, magazines and whatever else they may want. Additionally, the USO can become mobile and offer service members a chance to relax with big-screen televisions and WiFi so they can stay connected with loved ones across seas.

While they do help service members stay connected with family, they also provide couples counseling by working with Stronger Families, an organization that brings Oxygen Seminars to help military couples strengthen their relationships. The USO wants to connect families by more than just a computer, they want to ensure they will live a happy life when they are away and home.

As the troops arrive back home, the USO provides services to help the nearly half a million military personnel nestle back into their communities. According to the USO, 250,000 service members will transition back home each year.

Many contribute to the USO, and in 2013 the Iota Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity at Central Florida University, began working with the USO, and it has recently become Theta Chi's national philanthropy where it has expanded to the University of Idaho.

Bledsoe decided to make an obstacle course, simulating a boot-camp-style track where the sorority women run through it for a fun and new way to support a cause.

Based on the women's reactions when they reached the finish line last year, it was apparent that it was a hard course after it took them about 10 minutes to recover. Even though the philanthropy was exhausting, it was one of the most popular on campus last year and contributed to a great cause.

"It's still kind of a new thing," said Drew Ault, the philanthropy chairman at Theta Chi and in the man in charge of GI Theta Chi this year. "Hopefully in the coming years it will be a huge campus wide success that offers all students a fun way to say thank you to our troops and their families."

Both Bledsoe and Ault have similar ideas in mind for the future of this philanthropy. Bledsoe explained to me that he wants to connect with Theta Chi at Washington State University, Idaho's neighboring university, and make it popular in the community.

"I'm from Moscow [Idaho]," said Bledsoe. "I love helping my community."

Bledsoe would like to involve fraternities and a potential Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) team as well as the entire school potentially. He wants to see this expand to be an even more popular philanthropy than it already is. By getting the whole community involved for this great cause, everyone can have an impact on this organization in a big way.

For 75 years the USO has been supporting the troops in any way they can. With 160 USO locations around the world, the USO is able support troops no matter where they are; no place is too far.

Theta Chi was founded at Norwich University in Norwich Vermont in 1856 in the barracks of a military base. The founders came from a military background and it only seems appropriate that Theta Chi continue supporting the troops.