November 23, 2025 · Lake Artemesia · College Park, Maryland
Chester Brandon Memorial 5K
On a five-person core team, I helped unite four University of Maryland business fraternities around a memorial 5K and build the event in three weeks.
- $19K+
- raised
- 454
- Givebutter supporters
- ≈200
- ticketed participants
- Role
- Core planning team · fundraising and operations
- Tools
- Givebutter · Partnership outreach · Event operations
Why the race mattered
The public campaign called the event the “Interfraternal Turkey Trot — In Honor of Chester Brandon.” It brought four UMD business fraternities together after Chester’s death and connected the fundraiser to something central to his life: dance.
Chester’s mother selected the VIVA School of Dance, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that supports dancers of color artistically and educationally, as the beneficiary. That purpose shaped every operational decision the team made.
Leading inside the details
I often operated as a supporting lead across fundraising and operations: helping run the Givebutter campaign, coordinating across organizations, promoting the event, organizing volunteers, and working through race-day logistics.
Local outreach turned a nearly nonexistent working budget into practical support. I negotiated donated water and bananas so the team could welcome runners without pulling meaningful funds away from VIVA.
Race day at Lake Artemesia
Runners, volunteers, friends, and members of all four fraternities gathered on November 23, 2025. The day made the fundraising total tangible: a community showing up together in Chester’s honor.
The day, documented
The Diamondback reported from the 5K and captured the people who came to run, volunteer, and remember Chester.
Watch the reel on InstagramMy contribution
- Served on the five-person core planning team coordinating the event across four fraternities.
- Helped select and operate the Givebutter fundraising platform.
- Led local business outreach that secured donated race-day refreshments, including water and bananas.
- Helped lead promotion, partner communication, volunteer coordination, and race-day logistics.
How we built it
- Combined $25 runner tickets, online donations, and a day-of bake sale instead of depending on one fundraising stream.
- Used Delta Sigma Pi’s nonprofit status to support a more credible donation experience.
- Negotiated donated water and bananas so nearly all available funds could remain focused on the beneficiary.
- Organized the 5K at Lake Artemesia around a fixed November 23 deadline.
What the community achieved
The combined fundraising streams raised more than $19,000 in three weeks, surpassing the public campaign’s $15,000 goal. Approximately 200 people purchased tickets, 454 supporters participated through Givebutter, and the event directed its proceeds to the VIVA School of Dance.
Attribution: This was a shared effort by a five-person core planning team and members of Delta Sigma Pi, Alpha Kappa Psi, Pi Sigma Epsilon, and Phi Chi Theta.
Review the artifacts
- View the Givebutter campaign The public campaign page documents the event and 454 supporters. (opens in a new tab)
- Read the student press coverage Stories Beneath the Shell coverage published before the event. (opens in a new tab)
- Read The Diamondback’s remembrance of Chester Friends and classmates remember Chester’s kindness, curiosity, love of dance, and lasting impact on campus. (opens in a new tab)
- Watch The Diamondback’s event report A public video report documenting the race and the community that gathered for Chester. (opens in a new tab)