Acacia Fraternity Honored for Philanthropy and Service

Sept. 17, 2018

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University’s chapter of Acacia has received the fraternity’s biennial Excellence in Human Service Planning award, in recognition of its many on-campus philanthropy events.

“Receiving this recognition is a huge honor,” said chapter president Erik Thorson (Streator, Illinois). “Human Service is our fraternity's motto and guiding principle, and one that we always try to keep in mind when considering the actions and direction of our chapter. We were awarded the same distinction from our International Headquarters for the last biennium in 2016, and hope to work hard to receive it again in 2020.”

Founded in 1957, Illinois Wesleyan’s chapter has made an impact on local communities through its annual Acacia Claus toy drive, Wetter for the Better fundraiser and IWU Relay for Life, in addition to volunteering with community organizations such as the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club and the West Bloomington Revitalization Project.

In past years, the chapter has also received accolades in Ritual Exemplification, Officer Organization and New Member Education.

Since 1904, Acacia members from chapters across North America have raised thousands of dollars and devoted hundreds of hours to community service projects. The fraternity also collaborates with its international philanthropic partner Shriners Hospitals for Children. Today, over a thousand brothers participate in 29 active Acacia chapters, with an international network of over 50,000 alumni.

By Rachel McCarthy ’21