HomeMatthew Weiss
Michigan Alpha - University of Michigan
My Iron Phi Story
Welcome to My Personal Iron Phi Page
My first year at the University of Michigan has flown by. Classes are ending in a week and I will be finished with my finals and back in Chicago in less than three. I cannot believe that freshman year has come and gone so fast.
This year I pledged a fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, and currently serve as the Recruitment Chair of my chapter. I also joined the Club Golf team, and am currently trying to qualify for the club national tournament in two weeks.
This spring, I will be attempting to become an Iron Phi - a distinction given to a small percentage of members within my Fraternity. The mission of Iron Phi is to strengthen the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity and the impact it has on the fight against Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) through the fundraising and athletic efforts of its members. Lou Gehrig was a member of Phi Delta Theta, and our organization has taken an active role in finding a cure to this disease. All of the money I raise will support ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) research, education, screening and treatment. According to The ALS Association's web site, approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
My chapter, Michigan Alpha, has raised the most money for Iron Phi to date (over $20k). The program as a whole has raised over $260k since its start.
My Iron Phi Event this spring is Tripocalypse, a sprint triathlon (ending in the Big House!) that is sponsored by the University of Michigan's Club Triathlon Team. I competed in my first triathlon in the summer of 2010 (Chicago Triathlon), and I am excited to finally compete in one again. The event is this coming Sunday, April 15. I am very happy and excited that my dad is driving up to Ann Arbor to compete with me.
I've set my personal fundraising goal at $1000. So I need your help! Please consider making a donation to help me reach my goal.
You can donate to Iron Phi by clicking on the "Support Matthew!" tab located to the right of this note, directly under my picture.
I hope that you can share this experience with me - by supporting me in my fundraising efforts. I will of course let you know how the race goes. Thank you in advance for your help and generosity!
Sincerely,
Matt Weiss
My Personal Web Log
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How Does My Donation Make a Difference?
Your donation towards an Iron Phi athlete equally supports two very important things: Supporting ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) through research and support of ALS families and leadership development for undergraduate members of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.
At the end of each year calendar year, the LiveLikeLou Foundation grants dollars raised through Iron Phi to fund its initiatives that support ALS research, scholarships to support the higher education goals of ALS dependents, and summer camp experiences for children who have a parent or grandparent with ALS.
Dollars used for undergraduate leadership development have and continue to help Phi Delta Theta educate more of its undergraduate members as they work to “Become the Greatest Version of Themselves.”
