The Mercyhurst University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) hosted a Frozen Putt-A-Thon on Saturday, March 10, at Family First Sports Park.

For $5, the event included 18 holes of miniature golf and food provided by local vendors from noon to 4 p.m. Sponsors were found for each hole, and the event was open to the public.

PRSSA chose to do this event because of its distinctive qualities.

“All campus organizations get stuck in a rut in terms of fundraising,” said PRSSA Vice President of Public Relations Joseph Pudlick. “So we have been searching for unique ways to support the educational objectives of the organization.”

The fundraiser benefitted PRSSA and ServErie.

According to Pudlick, the event was a great success and more than $600 was raised for the two programs.

ServErie is a program that connects volunteers and local organizations in order to address social problems in the Erie area. The ServErie website explains that their mission will be successful when there is a decrease in issues such as poverty, teen pregnancy and high school dropouts.

PRSSA is a national organization and a student branch of the PRSSA.

The Mercyhurst chapter focuses on valuable educational experiences including networking and résumé worthy opportunities.

The group is in its third year at Mercyhurst, and they are still in the process of finding their place. They believe this is a good start to what they are capable of offering the school.

Pudlick explained that the success of the event will “benefit future learning initiatives in the club.”

Senior Priscilla Chavez thought the Frozen Putt-A-Thon was a great idea.

“The club prepared well, and we learned along the way,” Chavez said.

PRSSA president Aaron Loncki said they gained experience in areas such as event planning and contacting sponsors and the media.

Chavez pointed out one improvement needed for the future.

“The only problem is that we needed to make it more public so that more people would know about it,” she said.

“Early planning is key for this kind of event,” said Loncki, “and we’re learning from this year’s experience.”

“A Frozen Putt-A-Thon is only the beginning of what we hope to accomplish in the future,” Pudlick said.