Every spring, the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity holds a philanthropy benefiting Dance Marathon and the Children's Miracle Network in the form of Florida's largest slip-n-slide. With the help of Gainesville's Fire Department, NW 19th street is blocked off to make room for the slip-n-slide, truck bed hot tubs, and a City of Gainesville fire truck that the supplies the water. This event is not only for a great cause, but it is also tons of fun. The fire truck literally shoots a 30-foot waterfall over the slide while participants are gliding over the 100-foot slip-n-slide. Meanwhile, there is a live cover band performance, a full-sized pool, and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs served throughout the event.
Tickets for the event are $5 and tanks are $10. All proceeds go towards Dance Marathon and the Children's Miracle Network. This year, the philanthropy raised a little over $6,000 for Dance Marathon. The money was raised through ticket and tank-top sales to all of the sororities on campus, as well as any attendees that were not Greek-affiliated.
Pike Tide Slide takes months of work to get the event into full swing. The Tide Slide Chairman, Anthony Campanella, said about the event, “It was a lot of work, but definitely worth the effort. To be able to have an event that gives a substantial amount of money to a good cause and gives those who attended a memorable Friday afternoon is a unique opportunity that I wanted to capitalize on." When asked what his biggest takeaway from coordinating the event was, Campanella responded, “It was my first real leadership position and I never knew there were so many little details that go into making an event like this come to fruition. Seeing the success of it was rewarding as well and we definitely set the bar very high for next year's Tide Slide Chairman. I also hope to use what I learned as a stepping stone to pursue future leadership positions within my fraternity."
This year's Tide Slide actually had the highest attendance since it began over 40 years ago. To keep such a tradition and to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, along with Dance Marathon, is a rarity in philanthropies today. The brothers of Pi Kappa Alpha take pride in giving back to the community and, specifically, having a good time while they do it.
