Charlie Wang | Staff Illustrator

The sounds of chatter, hearty laughs, and jazzy piano music were all you could hear coming from Dardick’s first-floor common room on Saturday, Nov. 9. The up-and-coming Vitamin Water Club hosted its very first “VITAPROM,” where its members dressed up in their most formal, prom-like attire and enjoyed sipping on exactly what you would expect: Vitaminwater.

Vitamin Water Club founder, first-year Brady Curtis, explained where the idea behind this niche club originated.

“My personal obsession started during welcome week,” Curtis said. “Me and a bunch of my new friends that I made were all drinking [vitaminwater] and were like, ‘Oh, this is so good. We should make a club for it.’ So, we made an Instagram and just kind of started posting joke videos.”

These Instagram videos attracted millions of fans, with the account’s most popular Reel having over 2.2 million views. Amongst the millions, this video attracted the attention of an impressive viewer: the Vitaminwater brand itself. 

The brand followed the club’s Instagram account and got in touch through direct messages, sharing that it would send the club something for the work it had been doing. 

“After like a month or so, they sent us two giant boxes which [were] full of jean jackets and backpacks and candles and dominoes and lighters, all sorts of random stuff,” Curtis said. 

With the club’s rise in popularity, Curtis hopes it will become officially recognized by WashU’s Student Union.

“We have to make the constitution and the bylaws and all that,” explained Curtis. “The issue that SU has with it is because we’re officially branded [with] Vitaminwater. They don’t like that. Hopefully, it’ll be fine because Vitaminwater is okay with it,” Curtis said.

One of the “founding five” members of Vitamin Water Club, first-year Katherine McCallum, expressed a similar hope for the club’s future.

“Hopefully we become an official club next year on the club initiation day,” McCallum said. “Then we can get some funding and with our funding, provide Vitaminwater for all!”

Beyond WashU, Curtis sees an even brighter, more flavorful future for Vitamin Water Club. 

“I think we’ve gained a lot of traction at the school, so hopefully we can go to other schools. People are always DMing me, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I want Vitaminwater at this school or that school.’ I always tell them to go start it,” Curtis said. 

Vitamin Water Club has several meeting ideas in store. During its few months together, it has hosted a plentiful potluck, competitive field games, and an excursion to the Campus Creamery for some late-night ice cream. As the club waits for official recognition, the fun doesn’t stop and neither does its work. This is where VITAPROM comes in. 

The positive energy surrounding VITAPROM was full of liveliness and love. As the night went on, it became increasingly clear that this club was not just a group of individuals who enjoyed drinking Vitaminwater; it was a group of friends who enjoyed being around each other and hanging out. In their formal suits and dresses, they danced to the “Y.M.C.A.,” took dozens of photos, and spent hours chatting and laughing together, all while sipping on Vitaminwater, of course. 

However, the purpose of VITAPROM wasn’t just for its members to hang out. The event had a charity aspect as well.

“Half of the proceeds that we made from our GoFundMe went to covering the cost of VITAPROM, and the other half went to Helen Keller International, which is a charity that prevents Vitamin A deficiency,” Curtis explained. “Now, after we have our prom, we’re going to try and raise a whole bunch of money, and then, all of the proceeds go to the charity because we’ve already covered our cost.” 

As of Sunday, Nov. 17, eight days post-VITAPROM, Vitamin Water Club is set to donate $136 to Helen Keller International. However, there is still time to donate, as the fundraiser is ongoing. 

Vitaminwater lover or not, anyone is welcome to join this club and its cause. The fruity, tasty drink enriched the lives of its members with the best vitamin they could have asked for: friendship. First-year Rowan Sandvig feels the same way. 

“It’s just a great community,” she said. “We’re all just a bunch of friends, and you don’t even have to like Vitaminwater, but it does help if you do. We all just come together for our shared love.”