NIU greeks will be having a busy weekend singing, raising money and receiving awards.

The annual “Greek Weekend” begins Sunday and will run through Tuesday. The goal of the event is to raise money for charities while uniting members, said Debbie Pearson, Greek Weekend public relations director.

This year Greek Weekend will be raising money for four different organizations which include Opportunity House, Safe Passage and Meals on Wheels. Greek Weekend Coordinator Jennifer Lenart said that due to the large number of groups the event is supporting, this should prove to be “one of the most successful years” for the program.

Greek Weekend kicks off with “Greek Sing,” an annual variety show, on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Duke Ellington Ballroom. The theme of this year’s show is “Journey into Animation.” Members from each house will participate by doing skits about greek life while dressed as various cartoon characters.

On Monday, the sororities and fraternities will participate in dinner exchanges where chapter members visit other chapters for dinner. Pearson, who is also a member of Alpha Phi sorority, said the event “gives the different members an opportunity to get to know each other in a casual dinner setting.”

There will be a canned food and clothing drive on Monday. Chapter members are encouraged to donate any old clothes and canned food they can.

All chapters will attend “Grand Chapter” on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Duke Ellington Ballroom. Guest speaker Carolyn Calloway Thomas will discuss the topic of “diversity” followed by an award ceremony. Some awards to be bestowed are outstanding greek, president’s awards, and certificates of dedication.

Although Greek Weekend may be fun, Pearson said its main purpose is to raise money for “philanthropies.”

“Greek Weekend is the weekend where greeks unite to raise money and to show the campus they are unified and they can benefit the campus,” Pearson said.