The men of Delta Upsilon were rewarded with the 2005 Bell Ringers of the Year trophy after raising more than $600 for the Salvation Army for the second year in a row.

Despite the freezing December temperatures, Delta Upsilon members stood outside of Dale Hall, smiling and ringing their bells.

John Reynolds, captain of the Norman Salvation Army, rewarded the fraternity with a gold-plated bell trophy at their fraternity house Thursday afternoon.

"I'm very proud anytime we can get young people, who are about to go into the world, to help the community," Reynolds said.

Members of Delta Upsilon topped the all-time record high for collections on campus with $666. They more than doubled the second place organization, Lambda Chi Alpha, which raised $314.

Twelve sororities and fraternities volunteered in the program and raised over $2,300. With their help, the Salvation Army was able to provide Christmas for 1,259 individuals.

Last year, Delta Upsilon raised over $500 and they plan to win four years in a row. If they do, they may get to keep the trophy permanently.

Community donations were lacking this year, due to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and the freezing temperatures. But Paul Stark, journalism sophomore, found a way to attract donations.

Stark stood in front of Dale Hall with his guitar as his fraternity brother rang the bell.

"It was so cold I couldn't feel my fingers touch the strings," Stark said.

Stark's musical talent attracted a number of donations as he made up songs about the people walking by.

"I just wanted to find a way to incorporate my talent with community service and have fun doing it." Stark said.

Michael Rodine, president of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, said it wasn't too hard to encourage the members to participate because bell ringing is their favorite community-service event.

The Delta Upsilon housemother, Raylene Cossey, was also praised for the fraternity's accomplishment.

Pat Privette, campus coordinator for the Salvation Army, described Cossey as "the wind beneath [the fraternity's] wings."

Almost $68,000 and 6,000 gifts were donated by the city of Norman to support the Christmas efforts. The leftover money is being used for the day-to-day operations of the Salvation Army, such as maintaining the homeless shelter and providing school supplies for kids.
hello there & you too