Alpha Derby Weekend is now an Atlanta tradition. The Atlanta Voice reported the 11th edition wrapped this weekend with city proclamations from elected officials and more than $300,000 raised for scholarships and community programs. The weekend, hosted by Atlanta-area brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha, has grown from a single watch party into a multi-day event that now anchors a chunk of the city's spring philanthropic calendar.
The weekend's signature event is a Kentucky Derby watch party that pulls Atlanta's Black professional class into one room for big hats, mint juleps, and a fundraising program that does not pretend the giving is incidental. The Atlanta Voice noted dozens of corporate and individual sponsors signed on this year, with proceeds going to scholarship funds for college-bound Atlanta students and to youth programs run by the fraternity's Atlanta chapters.
Proclamations from city officials marked the weekend's civic visibility. Alpha Phi Alpha's Atlanta presence runs deep, and weekend attendees included current and former elected officials, business leaders, and Atlanta University Center alumni. The Atlanta Voice reported the proclamations recognized the fraternity's century-plus presence in the city and the weekend's role in directing private dollars toward youth education.
The $300K total puts this year's weekend among the strongest fundraising results in the event's history. Organizers told The Atlanta Voice they want to grow the philanthropic side without losing the weekend's atmosphere, which over 11 years has stayed somewhere between a Derby party and a class reunion. Tickets to the 12th edition next spring are expected to go on sale in the fall.
