On February 27th, 2021 around one in the afternoon, three Loudoun County Sheriffs’ cars pulled onto Summer Breeze Court. They parked their cars and walked up to a brick front home located in Potomac Falls, VA belonging to the Oakes’ family. They were there to deliver tragic news no parent ever wants to hear. As they walked slowly in sync with one another up the slightly slanted cement driveway, the ring doorbell chimed at the house and they could be seen on video making their way to the front door. That day our family received the most devastating news any family could receive, our nineteen year old son, grandson, nephew, and cousin, Adam, was dead. 

Adam received a bid from the Delta Chi fraternity at Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, just four days earlier. Adam, like most freshmen going off to college, wanted to be accepted in his new college environment. He was looking to make new friends, find a sense of belonging, and make VCU home. The fraternity seemed like it could provide all those things and more. He had two of his best friends from home pledging the same fraternity with him and this gave him a slight sense of comfort. Everyone thought he was safe but we were all wrong.

The night of February 26th, 2021, Adam attended his first event as a Delta Chi pledge.  At this big/little reveal night, Adam was given a bottle of Jack Daniels and told to drink it. Adam wanted nothing more than to be accepted by the Delta Chi brothers and become a member of their fraternity.  Due to the events of one night, one group of boys, and one fraternity tradition, Adam's life was cut short.