GVSU student achieves prestigious level in Balanced Man Program

The brothers of the Michigan Kappa Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon are proud to announce that Tyler Kinch of Grand Valley State University (GVSU) has achieved the highest level of the fraternity’s Balanced Man Program: Fellow. Kinch, a junior Athletic Training Major, completed the rigorous final challenge, which included the proposal and completion of a 500-hour or 60 day service project.

Only brothers who commit to undertaking a community service learning project of this level are able to apply for this challenge, which makes the number of members nationally who achieve this level in the program very small. Through these projects, Fellows receive hands-on experiences that teach leadership, mentoring and how to care about and serve others.

For his service project, Kinch started his own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Students Providing Opportunities and Recreation Through Sports (SPORTS), to provide fun, interactive experiences for underprivileged children in the inner cities of the Midwest. Kinch created this organization to be fully operated by GVSU students and to be built upon Christian values. The goal is to enhance the quality of life for these children through proper mentor guidance and building a brighter future.

Since its inception, the organization has already partnered with campus organizations to hold an athletic equipment drive between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This event encouraged students to bring back new or used athletic equipment from home to donate to local athletic programs as well as Christian ministries working in African countries.

Kinch has also partnered with Sigma Phi Epsilon and Kramer Entertainment to organize a $1 All-You-Can-Play Laser Tag fundraiser on Friday, January 25, 2012, from 6:15 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. in the GVSU Fieldhouse. Students and members of the community were encouraged to come and enjoy a night of laser tag, with all of the proceeds going to SPORTS for future activities. The caused raised $300 in a very short amount of time that will go towards more equipment and camps on the east side of the Michigan in the 2013 summer.

Sigma Phi Epsilon, established in 1901, is one of the nation’s largest fraternities, with over 15,000 undergraduates on 240 campuses across the United States. Its mission is building balanced men, which is achieved through a continuous member development program that has contributed to a fraternity-wide GPA of over 3.0, a focus on the principles of Sound Mind and Sound Body and service learning efforts that allow members to develop leadership skills while giving back to the community.