ASU Greek Life is uniting to remember one of its own Friday.
Sigma Chi is hosting a car wash fundraiser and Greek letter-painting event on Alpha Drive in honor of Brandon J. Hendrick, a member who died of bone cancer on Oct.14.
Brent Pearlstein, president of ASU’s Interfraternity Council and a member of Sigma Chi, said the event was designed to bring ASU Greek organizations together to support each other and Hendrick’s family.
“The car wash is to raise money for Brandon’s family,” Pearlstein said. “The idea is to raise as much money as possible because [his family] obviously has a lot of expenses right now.”
He said he hopes the event, at the start of Family Weekend, will show families how Greek Life supports others in hard times.
Pearlstein said the fraternity is looking to start an annual scholarship in Hendrick’s name that would go to an ASU student who has battled cancer.
Before the car wash, fraternities and sororities will gather on Alpha Drive to repaint their letters as a way to bring all Greek members at ASU together to support the cause, Pearlstein said.
“The Greek letter painting is more of a Greek unity in this adverse time,” he said.
Interdisciplinary studies senior Alex Barrett, a Sigma Chi member, said the event shows the fraternities’ ability to give back to the community.
“For ASU, we’re trying to start more involvement and improve on our community service and relations,” Barrett said. “The whole point of this is to … bring everyone together to show what we can do.”
Barrett said his fraternity also is looking to donate money to a foundation that supports research in childhood cancers as well as to Hendrick’s family and the possible scholarship, depending on how much money is raised.
Barrett said Hendrick battled bone cancer for six years, from age 16 to 22.
Hendrick, who was raised in Washington, wanted to become a spiritual leader to preach to others about the opportunity of life, Barrett said.
“He was pretty much all-around one of the nicest guys anybody came into contact with,” he said. “He touched many individuals in a way that nobody else could.”
Pearlstein said Hendrick’s death was very upsetting for the fraternity.
“He was very humble and congenial. You could just see that coming from him,” he said. “He was just a real solid guy.”
The car wash is being held behind the Sigma Chi house in Lot 57 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Car washes are free and open to the public, and Sigma Chi will accept donations for Henrick’s family.
Reach the reporter at adam.sneed@asu.edu.
