Delta Gamma made a splash when its annual Anchor Splash fundraiser took over Veale’s Natatorium last Friday. All proceeds from ticket sales and raffles helped to benefit Delta Gamma’s national philanthropy project, Service for Sight, which offers aid to the blind and visually impaired. The sorority raised over $3000 for the charity. “I am really excited. We have a ton of teams,” remarked sister Julia Nakamoto.

Anchor Splash has been held in November in past years, although pushing it closer to the start of the school season was an active decision made my Delta Gamma. “It’s warmer having it now, and we were hoping it would encourage more people to come,” said event Fundraising Committee member Elizabeth Palmer. Another change to the event is that it is now considerably shorter than it has been in the past; one area of the event which required teams to build their own rafts was cut, saving a significant amount of time.

However, the best things about Anchor Splash have not changed. “Everyone’s favorite event is Synchronized Swimming; the boys do some pretty hilarious stuff,” said Palmer. This year’s rendition did not disappoint, and anticipations mounted due to it being the final event of the evening. Additional highlights included the Orientation Leaders performing a synchronized swimming version of the Orientation Leader Boogie. A nail biting moment came as The Expendables, one of the boys’ Synchronized Swimming teams, and the very last group to perform, launched one of their members into the air. He landed head first in the pool just inches from the edge. The crowd let out a gasp, but a thumbs up assured everyone that he was okay.

The groups that participated represented a wide range of different people across campus. 24 participated in total; every sorority was represented and this year’s Anchor Splash was the first to feature non-Greek teams. Three heats split the event up. Alpha Phi made a good showing throughout the night, winning heat one in both the Rubber Ducky Relay and the Anything-But-Swimwear Relay. They eventually went on to win Anchor Splash for the girls. Zeta Psi won heat two in the Rubber Ducky Relay, while Beta Theta Pi won the Anything-But-Swimwear Relay. In heat three, Delta Tau Delta won the Rubber Ducky Relay and the Anything-But-Swimwear Relay, as well as Anchor Splash for the guys.

While there were several winners, the entire event was intended to be in good fun. The Rubber Ducky Relay involved teams pushing a large, inflatable duck to the end of the pool without using their hands and handing it off to their teammates. The Anything-But-Swimwear Relay had teams bring a piece of clothing, put it on and race to their teammates at the other end of the pool. The clothes would be then handed off, and the whole process was repeated. The Biggest Splash was a cannonball contest, which also gave the guys a chance to mess around and show off.

A powerfully communal air resonated throughout the Natatorium that evening, and the impressive $3000 raised attested to that. Case is a community that knows a lot about giving back, and Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash is just one of the many examples of that spirit.