Stony Brook University has dozens of fraternities, sororities, clubs and organizations, drawing hundreds of campus students for membership.

A new fraternity chartered this fall is the Stony Brook chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. The group is focused on being a positive light through campus involvement and community service.

Members of a new fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, are helping people with disabilities.

Pi Kappa Phi held a bike-a-thon, their first outdoor event, in October. The goal was to raise awareness for children with disabilities.

The group set the stage by placing stationary bikes under a tent on the Academic Mall. Students took turns pedaling away, with members riding on the bikes at all times during the 8am-6pm day.

Many students, faculty and staff stopped by the event to inquire about the activity and offer support.

Pi Kappa Phi  had a fundraising goal of $500 and was able to surpass that to $640 through the  interest of the campus community. Funds are donated to the Ability Experience, a nonprofit philanthropic organization created and managed by the national fraternity making a difference for people with disabilities.

The bike-a-thon is modeled after a national fundraising event called the Journey of Hope, where participants pedal from the west coast to Washington, D.C. to create awareness and improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Community service takes many forms at Stony Brook Medicine.

One of the most  unusual is a group that has volunteered for the past two years at the New York City Marathon.

The team from Stony Brook Medicine comes to the aid of runners and walkers who venture through the five boroughs of New York.

This dedicated group of internal medicine residents, nurse practitioners from the Rapid Response Team, Emergency Room residents, nurses and pulmonary critical care fellows has served as medical team volunteers to help keep the thousands of runners on their feet.

The event offers a great opportunity to practice mass casualty situations, including how to triage patients quickly and efficiently.

The Stony Brook Medicine volunteers welcome the opportunity to showcase their talent on one of the largest stages in the sporting world. Their participation in the race serves as a reflection of the health care treatment at Stony Brook University Hospital, where various disciplines come together for the patients’ benefit and a common goal.

The New York City Marathon is a 26.2 mile race with a course that runs through Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. More than 50,000 runners compete in the annual test of strength and determination.

The Southampton community comes together each year for a different kind of holiday celebration – the traditional Lighting of the Windmill at Stony Brook Southampton.

More than 200 friends, neighbors and local elected officials attend the illuminating festivities held annually in early December on the college campus.

The Windmill at Stony Brook Southampton, a local icon, is decorated for the holidays.

The event features holiday treats and hot chocolate for the guests. Musical performances  of seasonal classics were provided by the Southampton Brass Quartet and the Stony Brook University Pep Band in recent years.

As part of the event, faculty at the campus share their work on current topics with the crowd through presentations in Duke Lecture Hall. The community is also offered guided tours of the windmill and given information about the campus programs.

Volunteers from several campus departments, including the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Student Life and the Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) Program, coordinate the evening’s program.

Constructed in the early 1700s, the windmill has been a fixture on the Southampton campus since it opened in 1963. It has been designated a National Literary Landmark, based on playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) having lived here during the summer of 1957.