Greek Week came to a close with last night's Sing and Variety, as fraternity and sorority members sang and danced on the Hill Auditorium stage. Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity were declared champions. But organizers are already planning an expansion of the event for next year.

The event raised about $44,000 for charity this year, LSA senior and Greek Week spokesman Dan Fanton said. Camp Heartland, a Minnesota-based camping and outreach program for children whose lives have been affected by AIDS, will receive $36,000. Remaining money will be divided between the Coach Carr Cancer Fund, the New York Firefighters 9-11 Fund, the Boys and Girls Club of America and Students Promoting Eating Disorder Awareness and Knowledge. Greek Week also collected 285 pints of blood for the American Red Cross.

Each participating Greek chapter and 25 corporate sponsors contributed money to the event.

LSA senior and Greek Week organizer Erin Mote said she hopes to expand corporate aid next year to increase funding and reduce the drain on Greek houses. Several national corporations already sponsor Greek Week, but Mote hopes to bring in more brand names including Compaq Computer Corp.

"A lot of our sponsors are local businesses, which is great, but we have a national impact," she said.

Mote said sponsorship in Greek Week is often more appealing to businesses than is donating money directly to charity. With their participation, companies can reach several charities at once and also market their products to an important audience, she explained.

"It's good advertising for them. We're on a college campus, so we're a great demographic," she said.

Another impetus to expand funding is the Michigan Student Assembly's recent refusal to allocate funds for Greek Week this year, Mote said. Organizers spend over $12,000 per year on the event and usually receive about $1,000 from MSA, she said.

LSA senior Peter Apel, vice chair of MSA's Budget Priorities Committee, said the assembly stopped funding Greek Week because it did not present substantial need for the money.

"They put on their application that they had tens of thousands of dollars already and they were raising all this money," he said. "One of the factors the committee looks at is financial need, and they failed to demonstrate their financial need."

"It's one of those groups that has gotten money in the past and no one is really sure why," he added.

Mote said she is optimistic about regaining MSA funding, though she would like to become less dependent on the assembly by increasing business contributions. She said she believes MSA's new president and vice-president, Sarah Boot and Dana Glassel, will be more receptive to funding Greek Week.

Among Greek Week's other goals for coming years are to involve the Ann Arbor community to a greater extent and to bring performers to campus, Mote said. This year's events did not include a major performance, but Greek Week has brought entertainers such as Wyclef Jean and Chris Rock to the University in previous years.