Two baby pools filled with green Jell-O is not typically what springs to mind when someone decides to help the hearing impaired, but that is exactly what the sisters of Delta Zeta used to raise money during their annual Turtle Tug philanthropy event last Friday afternoon.

This year’s Turtle Tug consisted of over 400 people playing tug-of-war across baby pools overflowing with green Jell-O throughout the day. Delta Zeta raised over $5,000 for Gallaudet University, the only university specifically intended for people who are deaf or have hearing impairments.

Turtle Tug always falls on the Friday beginning Creighton’s Parents weekend which, according to Arts & Sciences senior Maggie Miller, allows parents to remember their college days.

“My mom loved Turtle Tug and was eating it up,” Miller said. “My mom was in a sorority here when she was a student, and I think it brought back fond memories for her.”

According to philanthropy chair and Arts & Sciences junior Nicole Huynh the day did not go entirely as planned due to unexpected cooler weather.

“Turtle Tug has happened to fall on a sunny, warm day for the past couple of years, and considering the nice weather we’ve been having, I never expected our philanthropy date to be full of a rainy and cloudy forecast,” Huynh said. “By the look of how excited all of the girls and their teams were, anyone would have forgotten about the weather. It wasn’t until the event ended a few hours later that I realized how numb I was from being soaked in Jell-O.”

Miller agreed with Huynh that though the weather was cooler, people seemed to enjoy the event.

“We had a lot of people outside braving the rain and some chilly temperatures, but it seemed as if spirits couldn’t have been higher, as everyone enjoyed themselves while at the event,” Miller said. “I know there were members of every fraternity and sorority represented there, as well as organizations from all over campus.”

Despite the outdoor environment, Nursing sophomore and Delta Zeta Emily Oppel thought her first Turtle Tug was successful.

“My first Turtle Tug was a fabulous experience to bond with my sisters and raise awareness for our philanthropy,” Nursing sophomore Emily Oppel said. “It was fun to see students, parents and other Greek organizations come together and tug over green Jell-O to make such a positive impact.”

Other members of the sorority agreed the Turtle Tug created memories and laughs.

“My favorite part of the day was watching people laugh about falling into the Jell-O,” Huynh said. “What I love about Turtle Tug is that everyone completely lets loose and getting dirty or falling into the Jell-O is at the least of their concerns. It’s a fun way to enjoy your Friday afternoon as well as raise money for a good cause.”

According to seniors, their last Turtle Tug brought back memories and caused them to realize the importance of their philanthropy event.

“As a senior, it was extremely bitter-sweet, because I remember falling face-first into the pool freshman year and thinking ‘This possibly will go down as the most embarrassing most I’ll ever have at Creighton’,” Miller said. “While that still remains to be true, it’s good to know I’m not the only one to have gone through it. Having gone through four years of turtle-tugs, it’s odd to think that next year, my September won’t be dominated by green Jell-o or making competitive teams of tuggers. It doesn’t feel real, and I doubt it will until next September comes, and I start feeling a little ‘tug’ at my heart-strings when I won’t be around to see any of it.”

Participants and spectators agreed the event was successful.

“Overall, it was an awesome way to bring the Creighton community together, get a little messy, raise money and have fun,”

Oppel said.