For the seventeenth year in a row, the men of Phi Delta Theta hosted their week-long philanthropy, Teeter-Totter, to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening disorder that took the life of a former brother of the chapter.
“In the beginning, this event was not about cystic fibrosis,” said current brother Alec Pesavento.
Pesavento and Ryder Da Silva were at the head of operations for the entire 104 hours.
“Originally, this event was to raise awareness about ALS, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease,’” said da Silva. The Hall-of- Fame New York Yankee who the disease was named after was a brother of Phi Delta Theta.
In 2006 the chapter lost a former brother, Brent “Woody” Bolin to cystic fibrosis, a condition where mucus can build up in the lungs. Bolin was teaching at California State University San Marcos when he had to eventually go the hospital. On August 2, 2006, he died surrounded by friends and family.
Bolin donated his liver, kidneys and eyes. Because of this, there are two people still alive and well today in San Diego.
When he was attending Sonoma State back in 1999, Woody held positions such as New Member Educator, Historian and Treasurer. Bolin met a his wife Allison on campus and in 2004 they married.
This year, Phi Delta Theta joined up with Allison’s sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, to set up a teeter-totter on Person Lawn.
A table was put out with mason jars for each Greek organization to donate spare change for the cause.
Tents and couches created a comfortable lounging area for anyone to show up and relax throughout the day and even overnight.
Ring toss, cornhole and other games were also available for those more active. At night, hot cocoa was provided along with a DJ and movies. Of course, there were people teetering at all times.
“At first, the challenge was only twelve hours,” said sophomore Phi Delta Theta memeber Max Hull. “But we kept seeing if we could push the limit, so now the challenge is 104 hours.”
They culminated the event at 7 p.m. Friday evening with a ceremony, and in attendance were a few of Bolin’s brothers from back in the day, including his best friend John Kreuzer.
“Woody was a man who made a friend in every person he met,” said Kreuzer. “He looked for and found the positive in every part of his life.”
Kreuzer and another former brother, Matt Nicholson, shared stories of Woody’s actions and his legacy at the closing ceremony.
“If there is anything to take away from this whole event, it’s that cystic fibrosis is a very real thing and it took one of our own,” said Pesavento. “Being aware and knowing is half the battle, and I think we have been very successful in fulfilling our goal with this event and that is why we have been doing for the past 17 years.”
