Tri Delta's DHOP is back and better than ever this Friday

By K.C. LIBMAN Published March 1, 2013 at 1:49am Updated March 1, 2013 at 1:49am

When it comes to drunken late-night food on the weekends, students’ choices are severely limited. There’s the ubiquitous Mexican food stands strewn throughout the city, Jimmy John’s or Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue, and that’s really it.

However, tonight there’s one more option to choose from, and it’s for the carb fanatic in all of us: Delta Delta Delta sorority is hosting its DHOP all-you-can-eat pancakes event once again.

For the uninitiated, DHOP is something of a tradition. Once a semester, cabs flock to Tri Delta’s house on Second Street, unloading intoxicated passengers who are graciously welcomed into the house by the women of Tri Delta. For $5, patrons can gorge themselves on warm pancakes bathed in syrup and leave Tri Delta more than satisfied.

DHOP, however, is more than just pancakes — it’s a fundraiser with 100 percent of proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to benefit pediatric cancer research. Donations of pancake batter, juice and syrup allow Tri Delta to give back as much as it does, but there’s also a lot of manpower that goes into DHOP.

“This year, we’re implementing four shifts, with a setup crew and a cleanup crew, and some girls stay on as just cooks,” said Claire Rudder, president of Tri Delta’s Phi Beta chapter at the UA and a junior studying bilingual elementary education.

While impromptu sing-a-longs and random dance parties with drunk patrons always go on at DHOP, Rudder said that nothing has been quite like their turnout last semester.

“It was just the sheer number of people that we had,” Rudder said. “As much as we were trying to prepare and set up different ways to get the pancakes to people faster, our whole house was packed with people, and we weren’t quite prepared for how big it got.”

Tri Delta is hoping that Friday’s crowd will be just as large, if not bigger.

Each DHOP, Tri Delta attempts to raise between $5,000 and $10,000. It met its goal last semester by raising around $8,000.

If that’s any indication of how tonight’s event will go, then it’s definitely going to be busy, and it’s up to the patrons to help out in their own way.

“If people could be just as patient as they can, that’d be great,” Rudder said. “We’re making the pancakes as fast as we can, but there’s always more on the way.”

No matter what your plans are Friday night, DHOP’s worth checking out. Even if pancakes aren’t your thing, you can buy a DHOP T-shirt or simply donate to St. Jude’s. Either way, you’re giving back and getting something in return — whether that be a stack of pancakes, the feeling of supporting a wonderful charity or both.

“It’s a staple of the Greek Life philanthropies,” said DJ Beaver, a civil engineering senior. “It’s a great way to finish up your night of partying, and it’s for a great cause.”