Sigma Pi’s Beta Chapter at Indiana University raised $20,000 in honor of one of their brothers, Nic ‘Tex’ Smith, who lost his life to suicide. Since the loss of Smith in January 2017, Beta Chapter has hosted a barbeque called Tex’s BBQ each semester to raise money and bring awareness to mental health.
The goals of Tex’s BBQ are:
- Combat the stigma against seeking help on the Indiana University campus
- Increase access to students by subsidizing counseling and programs
- Find creative ways to help students live a healthy and happy life while they attend Indiana University
With the $20,000 raised from the event, Beta Chapter was able to donate $13,000 to the counseling service on campus, IU CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services), and $7,000 to IU SACS (Sexual Assault Crisis Service).
In 2017, Beta Chapter raised $9,000, then went on to raise $10,000 in 2018 and has now doubled that during the 2019 event at $20,000.
Smith was called ‘Tex’ by his friends because he was from Dallas, Texas. His brothers described Smith as “loud, energetic, and the kindest guy you’ll ever meet.”
