The women of Delta Phi Epsilon will host the 22nd annual Mr. Fintastic male pageant on Sep. 23 at 7 p.m. in the UC Pit to raise awareness and funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Approximately 15 men from various fraternities, clubs and athletic teams will compete in casual wear, formal wear, trivia and talent rounds to earn the title of Mr. Fintastic. This year’s theme is the Olympics.
During each round of the event, the women of Delta Phi Epsilon will be walking around with decorated buckets to collect money for each contestant.
Simona Zigmond, junior biology major and philanthropy coordinator for Delta Phi Epsilon, said, “[Members of the audience] will donate money to whichever contestant they feel did the best job, and at the end of the night, we’ll count up how much each contestant raised and reveal who the new Mr. Fintastic is.”
Throughout the week of Sep. 19, members of Delta Phi Epsilon will be tabling in the UC to raise awareness and fundraise for cystic fibrosis prior to the Mr. Fintastic event.
Caraiosa Williamson, sophomore business major and philanthropy coordinator for Delta Phi Epsilon, said there will be a number of events and challenges for the participants of Mr. Fintastic to complete to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis in the week leading up to the event.
Williamson said, “We plan on having each guy participate in a weeklong Instagram challenge…They’ll plug their nose and try to breathe through a straw to symbolize how someone with cystic fibrosis breathes every day. Breathing is so hard with all of that extra mucus built up in their lungs.”
VIP tickets and event t-shirts will each be on sale for $10 during the week leading up to the event. Those who purchase a VIP ticket will have reserved seating and refreshments during the event.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is one of three major philanthropies that Delta Phi Epsilon supports. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, over 30,000 people in the United States are living with cystic fibrosis.
In 2012, Rojeana Auriel Hall, NSU student and sister of Delta Phi Epsilon, known as Auriel, passed away from complications of cystic fibrosis.
“This event is very special and we honor [Hall] before it. She also had a younger brother, Roman, and he would come out and support all of our events, and sadly he passed away last year, but we continue the event with their legacy in mind,” said Zigmond.
Last year, Mr. Fintastic raised approximately $6,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Williamson and Zigmond said they hope this year’s total will increase significantly from last year’s.
Zigmond said, “I would love if we could do that, but at the end of the day, whatever we end up raising, there won’t be any sadness.”
Williamson agreed, saying that any amount of money raised would be amazing because it’s for an important cause.
“We hope that after the event and with all of the money we raise that CF (Cystic Fibrosis) can finally stand for ‘cure found,’” Zigmond said.
For more information about the event, contact Simona Zigmond at sz195@nova.edu or Caraiosa Williamson at cw1459@nova.edu.
