To encourage participation and excitement about this year’s “dry” Veishea, the Veishea Risk Management committee has donated money to various student organizations that applied for Veishea grants.

With the grants, the organizations are sponsoring alcohol-free events and parties.

Laurie Hellbusch, Risk Management co-chair and junior in business management, said this is the first year for the Veishea Risk Management committee, and that it is long overdue.

Hellbusch said the Risk Management committee, which also includes Peer Security and the Party Response Team, was able to offer more than 25 Veishea party grants this year.

“[The Risk Management committee] has done a lot to help students adjust to the change of Veishea being alcohol-free,” Hellbusch said.

Hellbusch also said the Veishea party grants give organizations an alternative to alcohol.

“A lot of students, they don’t necessarily want to drink during Veishea,” she said, adding this year’s celebration has garnered more publicity about Veishea activities than in the past.

Hellbusch also said the grants give the students an opportunity to plan their own events.

Hellbusch said she believes Risk Management committees will be active during future Veishea celebrations.

Some of the organizations that applied for grants include Alpha Tau Omega, the Black Graduate Student Organization, Campus Crusade for Christ, Richardson Court Association Student Government and Pi Kappa Phi.

Eta Kappa Nu, a national engineering honor society, is planning a “giant salad feed and hog roast” for electrical and computer engineers, faculty and staff and their families.

“It’s the first time [that] has ever been done, something of this magnitude,” said Grady Maass, activities chairman for Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society and senior in electrical engineering.

“I really wanted to do something to involve the students with the faculty,” he said.

The roast will be held Friday starting at 5:30 p.m., and along with roast pig, vegetarian dishes will be available.

“It’s gonna be really wild,” Maass said, adding that nearly 900 e-mails have been sent to students about the event.

Another cookout will be held at the same time. Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, 407 Welch Ave., also will be holding a barbecue Friday afternoon.

The meal is free of charge to students with invitations and will be followed by a movie.

ISU students who have not received invitations but would like to attend the barbecue should call Matt Upmeyer at 292-5266 ext. 311.

The Richardson Court Association will be holding an ultimate frisbee tournament and a volleyball tournament, as well as rounds of bingo and an ice cream social.

The sports tournaments will take place on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the RCA Courtyard.

The bingo game will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. in front of the Oak-Elm residence hall, and the ice cream social will begin in the courtyard at 5 p.m.

All events are free and open to ISU students, even those who do not reside in RCA, said Brian Tuftee, vice president of RCA Student Government and senior in mechanical engineering.

He said if RCA residents participate in the activities, their houses will receive participation points.

The two RCA floors with the highest point total at the end of the day will win color televisions for their dens.

The grand prize winners will be announced at 6 p.m.

Tuftee said the activities are a convenient and fun way for RCA residents to get involved with Veishea. For the sports tournaments, the contestants need to be pre-registered, but they can register up to the day of the tournaments, he said.

Registration sheets are available in the post offices of any RCA residence halls.

“We encourage a lot of participation,” Tuftee said, adding that more than $800 worth of prizes will be offered on Saturday.

Prizes, which are awarded to the top three teams in the sports tournaments, include gift certificates for pizza, ISU T-shirts and party supplies such as pop and chips.

The bingo tournament winner will receive a gift certificate for the University Book Store.

Tuftee said a few random prizes, including various gift certificates, will be offered throughout the day.

The Towers Residence Association also will hold an event funded by a Veishea grant — an carnival “exTRAvanganza.” The carnival will be held in the courtyard of TRA from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The activities will include a dunk tank, music by BC Productions, jugglers, fortune tellers and cartoonist Carmen Cerra drawing caricatures for students.

Following the daytime activities is an informal dance in the courtyard from 7 p.m. to midnight. The dance will also be deejayed by BC Productions.

Jeremy Smith, programming chairman for TRA and senior in industrial technology, said the carnival participants will “have a lot of fun for free.”

For the Union Drive Association, Mass Campaniling will take place on Thursday night, and a casino night will be held Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Westgate Lounge.

Sara Denburger, entertainment co-chairwoman for UDA, said many prizes will be up for grabs at casino night, including two $50 gift certificates to the University Bookstore.

A barbecue will be held on Sunday from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. at Chessman Lounge at Helser Hall. Denburger said if weather permits, a volleyball net will be set up.

“It’s only a dollar per person,” said Denburger, junior in agricultural business and ag education. “We’ll have plenty there for everybody.”

Denburger said she hopes Veishea will be a success.

“We’re trying to do our best to make Veishea No. 1,” she said.