Instead of dressing to impress, the men of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity will wear hideous suits during their spring formal next week.

The Ugly Suit party is a part of a bigger fundraising event for a non-profit organization called Big Ideas for the Greater Good, which gives $50 grants to kids K-12 in order to make an impact by committing an act of kindness. 

The organization was founded by Chris Rosati, a North Carolinian man diagnosed with a terminal nervous system diseases called Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Symptoms of ALS include twitching and cramping of muscles, impairment of the use of arms and legs.

Crestwood junior Chris McKenna, who proposed the idea of the Ugly Suit party to his chapter, said the goal is to help Rosati’s mission. Rosati believes in a “butterfly effect” for acts of kindness, where one act of kindness where eventually snowball into a bigger act of kindness.

Rosati is also a fan of ugly tuxedoes and has a bright orange tuxedo that he wears at unusual times, McKenna said. Members of Fiji plan to wear ugly tuxedoes at the party. 

McKenna said some ideas of ugly tuxedoes included a light blue tuxedo decorated with white fluff to make it look like a cloud, a tie-dyed tuxedo and one decorated with several red towels. 

Rosati has gained attention from CBS, for his acts of kindness McKenna initially discovered Rosati through a video on CBS and said his goal struck an emotional chord with him.

“I believe in small acts of kindness to change your community,” he said. “And I commend somebody with that much passion and ambition to set it up.”

Rineyville junior Andrew Boyles, Fiji chapter president for WKU, said the fraternity was immediately on board with the idea.

“One of the these that we like to do as a chapter is get behind guys and their passions,” he said.

Along with the raised money, Fiji will send Rosati pictures from their Ugly Suit party to show their support.

Boyles said once Rosati receives the money and photos, he hopes that Rosati understands he is making an impact with people’s lives.

“We just hope that he gets overwhelmed with joy,” Boyles said.

The party will be on Friday, May 8. To donate to Fiji’s fundraiser, go to www.gofundme.com/fijiformal.