Interfraternal Turkey Trot
In Honor of Chester Brandon
On November 23, 2025, four UMD business fraternities came together to host a charity 5K at Lake Artemesia in College Park, MD. The event honored Chester Brandon, a senior Information Systems major and member of Pi Sigma Epsilon, who passed away on October 31, 2025. All proceeds went to the VIVA School of Dance, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit supporting dancers of color, chosen by Chester's family. The entire event was organized in under three weeks with a $20 budget — everything from the donation platform to race-day refreshments was sourced through research, outreach, and negotiation.
"I know how much this means to Chester's family, and knowing that we're making that impact on them while they're dealing with the literal worst thing that can ever happen to a person. It just means so much." — Alyssa Manchester, quoted in UMD Scholars Business Society
My Role
- Co-host & organizer: helped plan and execute the entire event in under three weeks, coordinating across all four fraternities (Delta Sigma Pi, Alpha Kappa Psi, Pi Sigma Epsilon, Phi Chi Theta) between Chester's passing on Halloween weekend and our Thanksgiving break deadline.
- Fundraising platform: identified Givebutter as the donation platform and leveraged Delta Sigma Pi's 501(c)(7) nonprofit status to access its full suite of fundraising tools, giving us a more polished and trustworthy donation experience than what we'd normally use.
- Sponsorship & vendor relations: with only $20 in working budget, personally negotiated donations from local businesses — around 300 water bottles from Greene Turtle and 150 bananas from Trader Joe's — to supply race-day refreshments at no cost.
- Fundraising mix: coordinated three revenue streams — $25 runner tickets, online donations through Givebutter, and a day-of bake sale — that together pushed the total past $19,000.
- Day-of operations: managed event logistics at Lake Artemesia including setup, volunteer coordination, refreshment stations, and on-site engagement activities where participants wrote what they were grateful for.
Event Details
- Date: Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 11 AM
- Location: Lake Artemesia, College Park, MD
- Route: 2 laps around the outer loop (3.1 miles)
- Beneficiary: VIVA School of Dance — a D.C. nonprofit chosen by Chester's family
- Organized by: Business Fraternities of the University of Maryland
- Timeline: planned and executed in under 3 weeks
- Budget: $20 total — all refreshments secured through donated sponsorships
Picking up 150 donated bananas from Trader Joe's for race-day refreshments.
Press & Coverage
UMD Community Honors Life of Chester Brandon
UMD Scholars Business Society — Features interview and direct quotes from Alyssa Manchester on organizing the event.
The Diamondback — Event Coverage Reel
Instagram reel by The Diamondback capturing race day at Lake Artemesia.
Givebutter Fundraiser — For Chester
The official donation page where the community raised over $19,000 for the VIVA School of Dance.