Second City will perform in the Duke Ellington Ballroom tonight at 9 p.m. for Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity’s philanthropy project.

Tickets are $4 and are available from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. in Cole, Wirtz and DuSable halls and in the Pow Wow Room.

This is Skulls’ first philanthropy project in more than five years and member David Reidy, who organized the project, said they would like to continue the activity annually.

Part of the proceeds of the event will be donated to the NIU Shirley W. Nelson Campus Child Care Center and the Special Physical Education Clinic (SPEC), both located on campus, Reidy said.

Child Care Center Director Diane Kubetz said, “We’ve never had this (much) support before.” The funds for the center are regularly provided by the Student Association, parents’ fees and Student Affairs.

SPEC Director Garth Tymeson said, “I’m glad they’re doing it.”

The clinic provides disabled people with specially designed sports equipment such as sports wheelchairs, modified basketball hoops and sports rackets, audio devices for the blind, and swimming flotation devices for the physically impaired, he said.

Reidy said Skulls are becoming active in philanthropy again because they want to reach out and help the community.

The SPEC program and the child care center are both affiliated with the DeKalb and Sycamore area. Reidy said it would be nice to see the help they could provide firsthand.

The initial impression of the name Skulls is a “big drawback” for the fraternity, he said, because “people think wrong about us,” picturing them as “bikers or drug addicts.”

Skulls wants to change this impression and improve its reputation by helping the community through projects like this.

Reidy, who frequently performs with Second City as well, contacted its producer, Joyce Sloane, to draw up the contract. Greek Affairs Activties Adviser Jeff Cufaude also helped with the contract.

Today is the last day to purchase tickets. Tickets can also be bought at the door for $5. Skulls sold more than 1,000 tickets by Monday, and its goal is to sell at least 1,500 tickets.

Second City’s last performance at NIU sold only 600 seats. Each active member was required to sell 10 tickets. Pledges and little sisters also are helping.

Skulls has offered its services to the child care center by working on “playground updating” because the current playground was built for older kids and they would like to have some new equipment, Kubetz said.