On Sunday afternoon, 23 young men huddled around a slab of wood and signed their names carefully around the words painted boldly: “Brothers for David.”
Members of seven fraternities gathered to participate in a Habitat for Humanity blitz-build in memory of David Shannon, a freshman who died three months ago after falling from concrete machinery in Carrboro.
Shannon would have celebrated his 19th birthday Saturday, and he might have participated in the Habitat for Humanity event if not for his untimely death.
Last semester, Shannon, a member of the Chi Phi fraternity, raised more than $1,000 for Blitz Build, an activity for new fraternity pledges. He raised the most out of more than 100 participants.
“Sometimes there are rivalries between frats, but this really transcends all houses and is student-run and collaborative,” said Everett Young, chairman of the event.
“We not only build but also fundraise, and David was really enthusiastic about it all,” he said.
The 16-week long building program started last weekend with a small session where Shannon’s father and a few of his friends laid out the foundation for the house and met the family who will be living in it.
Chris Hourihan, a member of Chi Phi, said he will remember Shannon as a genuine, funny person who was liked by everyone.
Three years ago, the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity also organized a Habitat for Humanity build in honor of the death of their president Courtland Smith.
