See this is why I luv me some Omegas!!!

[ZLuvDove]

This is what I like to see!


Fraternity boosts heat safety effort
County gives fans to seniors
William Wan - Staff
Sunday, June 30, 2002

Ernest Singleton sweats all day in his air conditioned-less apartment near East Point. At 4 p.m. when the heat is worst, the 66-year-old strips off his shirt, makes paper fans and tries to think cool thoughts.

The only real fan he owns is rusted and was missing its front grill when he found it last year in a Dumpster outside his apartment.

Singleton found something better waiting next to the Dumpster on Saturday morning --- four men in purple shirts delivering a new 20-inch box fan.

Singleton was one of 81 senior citizens who received fans Saturday. Fulton County's Office of Aging delivered almost 1,000 fans last year to protect seniors who are especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion, said project coordinator Matoya Carruthers.

This year, the project is getting a boost from the Fort MacPherson and Fort Gillem alumni chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

"We're basically the delivery boys," said Darren Graham, who pledged this year.

Twenty-one fraternity brothers turned out on Saturday, but many more will help over the next month and a half, said Graham.

"We're going to keep on going until August 30," he said. "We're aiming to deliver 2,000 fans." The chapter has been raising money since June 10 to buy the $10 fans from the Home Depot.

"It's a relief to have help," said Carruthers. "Last year we had around 1,000 requests and it was just me and five co-workers."

Chapter President Rick Thompson said the rewards go both ways.

"What we get out of this is brotherhood," he said.

All the fraternity brothers are college graduates and most are in the military, ranging from sergeants to one major general, said Thompson, a retired lieutenant colonel.

Singleton said he doesn't know much about the men who delivered his fan but he'll take all the help he can get.

"I got to to find some way to get rid of the heat," he said.

To donate money or fans to "Operation Cool Breeze" or to request fans for the elderly, call 404-730-6000.