Members of the ISU greek community are getting a little help for their Veishea parade float from some younger members of the Ames community.

Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, 218 Ash Ave., and Gamma Phi Beta sorority, 318 Pearson Ave., have teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of Ames to build the float.

“They came to me with the idea, and it received 100 percent approval,” said Marty Lester, programming director for the Boys and Girls Club of Ames, 210 S. 5th St. “It’s a unique experience for our kids.”

About 14 kids from the Boys and Girls Club have committed a total of 60 hours to help in constructing a float for this year’s parade. They have the opportunity to work on the float on three consecutive Wednesday nights with members of the greek chapters.

“It’s my second time working,” said 11-year-old David Tim, as he stood in the basement of the Delta Sigma Phi house, covered in bits of blue board from head to toe. “I like sanding and gluing the best.”

In addition to sanding pieces of blue board into objects and gluing felt flowers together, the kids have also been working on a banner they will carry behind the float in the Veishea parade April 21.

“It’s an overwhelmingly neat project,” Lester said. “The kids can see how the bits of metal out back right now will turn into a finished float by Veishea.”

Getting help with their float isn’t the only reason these two greek chapters decided to pair up with the Boys and Girls Club, said Ron Miller, Veishea co-chair for Delta Sigma Phi.

“We want to be a positive role model for these kids,” said Miller, junior in industrial engineering. “Hopefully, something we say or do while they are here will have a positive impact on them.”