The crowd roared as the stage lit up. The curtains were drawn back revealing 13 men striking poses in tear-away satin pants and fluorescent T-shirts. As the Mr. Greek contestants broke into a choreographed dance to a medley of thumping music, the crowd of fraternity and sorority members filling the EMU Ballroom only got louder.
At the end of the evening, David Hamburger from Chi Psi, who thrilled the crowd during the talent competition with an Irish jig performed in knee-length black tights, was crowned Mr. Greek.
All $13,000 raised Tuesday night by the contestants at the sixth annual Mr. Greek pageant will go to the Sacred Heart Cardiac Care Unit to help cure women’s heart disease.
The contestants, each from different fraternities on campus, participated in dance, swimwear, talent and question-and-answer competitions. Pageant hosts Kristina Nunez and Danielle
Hagardt of Alpha Phi sorority said the evening was the finale to several months’ worth of work by the participants and sorority members to raise awareness about women’s heart disease.
To the familiar rhythm of “I’m Too Sexy,” various contestants, dressed as Batman, a lifeguard in a Speedo swimsuit, a man sporting brightly colored inner tubes, an exaggerated Pamela Anderson look-alike and a hot dog, paraded on stage for the swimwear competition.
“Every year for six years we’ve done this event. Heart disease is the number-one killer for women,” Alpha Phi sorority member Kylee Campbell said.
The new Mr. Greek said his focus was mostly on raising money for charity.
“I’ve been thinking about the donations for months, but I came up with my talent this morning,” Hamburger said. He said he personally raised $1,985.
At different times throughout the evening Hamburger found himself clad in a flowing cotton skirt, tights, a toga and brightly colored workout apparel.
“I have no dignity left whatsoever,” Hamburger said, still clad in his toga.
Campbell said the goal was to top last year’s $12,000 in donations. “No one cares about the competition. We just care about raising money,” Theta Chi member Matt Nuernberg said.
Mr. Greek is a joint operation, Campbell said, and every girl in the Alpha Phi house participates and donates $50 to help put on the event.
According to Nunez, donations came from local businesses such as Rennie’s Landing and from businesses and families in Portland and around the country.
Members of Alpha Phi said the money raised for the night will aid in the research and treatment of heart disease. Out of the 80,000 deaths per year in the United States, some could have been prevented by screening and altering living habits to include a more healthy diet and more exercise.