As part of last week’s Shelter Sunday, an annual event where students and community members canvass Amherst asking for donations to support local shelters and food kitchens, participants raised over $10,000 in canvassing collections for the day. According to Amherst Select Board Chairwoman Stephanie O’Keeffe, one of the event’s volunteers, Friends for the Homeless, Inc. – the company that runs the event – expects another $20,000 to be mailed in.

The Boltwood Project team, which is comprised of David Smith, Justin Cerra, Kalin Cherette, Katelyn Ferreira and Chelsea Reichert collected the most money, according to O’Keeffe. They raised $536.

The top sorority team was Sigma Delta Tau, according to O’Keeffe. Team members Carly Wareham, Janelle Bloom, Luzelle Rodriguez, Lauren Siegel and Vanessa Pini collected $414.

The top fraternity team was Phi Gamma Delta. Team members Alex Schneider, Bradley Bullman, Timothy Chin, Chris Losch and Shane Meth collected $385, according to O’Keeffe.

Over 300 people participated in the Oct. 16 event, including many sororities and fraternities.

The money raised this year will be donated to the Amherst Survival Center, which provides food and other necessities to the needy in the area; the Not Bread Alone soup kitchen service; the Hampshire County Interfaith Shelter; Safe Passage, which provides crisis intervention services; and the Grove Street Inn, a homeless shelter in Northampton.

It was the 23rd year the event was held.

-Collegian News Staff