In hopes of showing community support for local police officers and helping with financial needs of the local departments, Texas A&M Phi Delta Theta fraternity will host “Phi Delt Backs the Blue” for the Bryan and College Station Police Departments Sunday.
The first-annual charity event, which will be hosted at Hurricane Harry’s from 6 to 9 p.m., will include a concert by country singer Zane Williams, food provided by Chick-Fil-A and a silent auction. Tickets are sold through a website on Phi Delta Theta’s Facebook page or at the door for $15. All proceeds go to the local police departments to help families of officers injured in the line of duty, equipment and any other needed supplies.
The idea for the event was in response to the Dallas Police shootings last summer. Amado Martinez, Phi Delta Theta member and sports management sophomore, lost his cousin and Godfather to the shootings. Feeling a need to make a difference, Martinez sought to help locally and spent the majority of November looking for people and other organizations to reach out to for financial marketing and donations to make the event happen.
“I talked to the police officers and they talked about how it was hard to go to work every day. I thought that wasn’t right and we needed to change that,” Martinez said.
Never having created any kind of charity event, Martinez reached out to his fraternity brothers for help with fundraising, getting donations and organizing the event. The fraternity members hope to raise $1,000 to reach their first goal.  
“My main motivation is Amado, who is one of my best friends, and seeing how passionate he is about it,” said Travis Clift, Phi Delta Theta philanthropy chair and industrial distribution sophomore. “It was amazing seeing how he wanted to help with that.”
The members of Phi Delta Theta contacted local police departments to inform them of the event and invited the officers out free of charge to enjoy the concert, food and silent auction with their community.
“Our police department works really hard to build effective partnerships within the community and when a group like this turns around and does something that shows an obvious support, it makes you feel good,” said CSPD Lieutenant Steve Brock. “It makes us feel like what we’re doing is making a difference.”