We wrote to Ryan Sudgen - The WI Beta Housing VP and got this response:
Thank you very much for your message following our tragic house fire. I apologize immensely for not getting back to you earlier. This has been a very demanding 72 hours for many of us, and we have thankfully taken care of the immediate necessities of finding housing, food, clothing and other essentials for the displaced brothers.
Thank you also for your offer of assistance. I am not altogether familiar with the SigEp blog but I now that we have received contacts from SigEp's across the nation. This would be an excellent way to keep everyone apprised of the situation.
I will forward to you an e-mail that just went out to WI-Beta alumni. Feel free to post that e-mail or quotes from the text as you wish. We're hoping to keep everyone informed and up to speed, and your help doing that would be excellent.
Thank you again for your assistance. It is really incredibly and awe-inspiring to see how much support we have received from fellow SigEp's and the community following our tragedy. It helps make it more manageable.
Fraternally,
Ryan Sugden
The letter he refers to is a communication from Patrick Kovich - the Alumni Board President. He recounts the detail of the fire and reiterates that although the house and contents are a total loss there were no serious injuries. He also comments on the progress of recovery and help from the brotherhood.
Members of the Alumni Board have taken the lead in meeting with university and fire department officials, Sigma Phi Epsilon's national staff and insurance personnel concerning the fire. Every displaced brother has found housing and has received money to purchase clothes, shoes and other essentials. The university has been flexible in rescheduling finals and other academic requirements. The Alumni Board has already made contact with local property owners to secure housing for brothers next academic year. It is our goal to retain a location near Langdon Street and a facility that promotes brotherhood. Going forward, the Alumni Board is evaluating the best options for future housing of the WI-Beta chapter.
[...]
Alumni and undergraduates alike are grateful for your outpouring of support. In the coming weeks the WI-Beta Alumni Board will be taking appropriate steps to ensure the future of our fraternity. We will continually update our alumni website and have launched a website dedicated to updates on the fire (www.UWGreek.com/SigEpFire.html). The displaced brothers have received generous support from the university, the Red Cross and the Madison community. At this time we ask that you not send monetary donations to the fraternity, but please continue monitoring our website for updates from the Alumni Board and chapter.
