Phi Sigma Pi – Alpha Epsilon Holds 3rd Annual Casey Feldman Benefit Concert April 2012
Ryan Gellar (L) and Jimmy Donahue completing forms to commit to safer driving
By Dianne L. Anderson
The West Chester University chapter of the national honors fraternity, Phi Sigma Pi, held the third annual Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation benefit concert on April 14, 2012. Over $1500 in proceeds were raised on behalf of the Foundation.
Donating their musical talents in the ballroom at the Sykes Student Union were Ryan Colestock and the bands, Reservoir and The GoAround. Students paid a $5 donation at the door, and were able to purchase EndDD.org (End Distracted Driving) wristbands, keytags, bumper magnets and t-shirts. All attendees were also able to purchase raffle tickets for goods and services donated by local vendors. “Casey” tables were in place where students could view collages of photographs of Casey.
Phi Sigma Pi brothers don their "Because of Casey" t-shirts
Casey Feldman’s parents, Dianne Anderson and Joel Feldman, spoke to the group about Casey and the fact that a distracted driver struck her while she was in a crosswalk on a summer afternoon at the Jersey shore. Mr. Feldman took the opportunity to introduce the 3 minute video clip of Casey which appears on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Faces of Distracted website and spoke to the students about the issue of distracted driving.
Stated Mr. Feldman, “As Dianne and I speak with students in high schools and colleges as part of April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we are encouraged by the willingness of young people to examine their driving behaviors and commit to becoming safer drivers. This is the feedback similar to what we have received from the hundreds of trial lawyers around the country and Canada who are also speaking with students as part of the Casey Feldman Foundation’s www.EndDD.org initiative.”
Joel Feldman gets a hug from Amber Staska, Casey's friend and former Fraternity President who planned the first concert in 2010
The students at the Phi Sigma Pi sponsored concert exhibited the same willingness and completed forms committing to specific concrete actions for driving safer. “Hopefully you can all talk to your parents as well when you go home, since distracted driving is not just a young people’s problem. It is everyone’s” stated Joel.
Related Links:
Photos and videos from prior years concerts and traffic safety campaigns
All Foundation articles on Phi Sigma Pi
