THIEL COLLEGE Frat walk to raise funds is canceled

The fraternity had the event to raise money for Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.
By LAURI GALENTINE
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- A tradition that spanned nearly four decades has come to a halt.
Mercer County motorists won't see Phi Theta Phi fraternity brothers at the intersections this weekend as they have in past years seeking donations as they made the 100-mile walk from here to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Adam Kmetz, this year's walk chairman, cited "differences with the administration" as the reason for canceling this year's event. Kmetz said the decision to do so was made Wednesday afternoon.
The walk was scheduled to begin Friday morning at the Thiel campus on College Avenue. It traditionally ended sometime Saturday afternoon at the Pittsburgh hospital.
Kmetz wouldn't give out any more details, saying, "It's been a really long day, and I don't feel like talking right now."
Members of the school's administration were not available to comment Wednesday evening.
Traditionally, the first weekend in December was set aside for the fraternity's annual walk-a-thon to benefit Children's Hospital.
Collected from motorists
The frat brothers from Thiel could be seen at intersections along state Route 19, from Greenville to Pittsburgh, collecting money from motorists as they made the two-day trek to the hospital, where they handed over all they had collected.
The $8,000 collected at a Pittsburgh Steelers football game about three weeks ago will be sent to the hospital, Kmetz said.
The Thiel fraternity had raised more than $1 million for the hospital over the past 35 years of walk-a-thons. Last year, the fraternity collected almost $42,00 for the hospital.
The funds go to the hospital's Free Care Fund, which helps cover health-care treatment costs for children not covered by insurance.