At the tip top of a pole the men of Phi Gamma Delta and the women of Alpha Delta Pi are working together this week to collect funds for the Ames Youth and Shelter Services.

The ninth annual Pole Sit started last Friday night, April 12, at 5 p.m. and will continue until 5 p.m. this Friday, said Adam Jacobson, philanthropy chair for Phi Gamma Delta.

On top of the salmon, yellow and green striped wood pole — which reaches almost 30 feet into the sky — two to three people sit in a medium-sized purple platform.

The participants of the Pole Sit sit on the platform for anywhere from 1-8 hours, and are provided with a TV/VCR, a light and blankets. At least 80 people are participating in this event .

“Everybody is required to sit up there four hours,” Jacobson said.

“The best part of being up here is reassuring the person you’re sitting with that the pole is not going to fall,” said Adam Mott, a member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity.

Sitting above the tree tops can be exciting and scary, participants said.

“I’m going to stay up here for the rest of the week cause I can’t get down. I’m afraid of heights. I can’t even stand in the balcony of Hilton Coliseum,” said Kelly Nelson, a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority.

“I’m pretty excited because we’re trying new things,” Jacobson said.

The new things include a “wishing well” where people can walk by and drop some money into the well. Another new idea is Jail and Bail, where one person can send another person up the pole for $5. That person must stay on the pole until he/she can raise $20. Phi Gamma Delta is still working on getting some local celebrities for this year’s Pole Sit. Last year’s celebrities included Ames Mayor Larry Curtis and Ames Police Chief Dennis Ballantine.

YSS, the local philanthropy of Phi Gamma Delta, is a facility that provides help for troubled youth through counseling, emergency shelters and recovery homes. It also focuses on prevention with programs such as visiting schools to talk about self-esteem, handling conflicts and saying no to drugs. The group has recently purchased the former Ames Municipal Building downtown and is going to renovate and restore it to its original style. The cost of the project will be about $2.5 million.

“We’re hoping to get at least $3,000,” Jacobson said. So far just more than $2,000 has been collected.