Post by greeky on Nov 24, 2010 19:22:03 GMT -5
Dodgebrawl tournament a success for second year
By Abigail Donaldson
Contributing Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Central Florida Future
Abigail Donaldson
Dodgeball — so easy a caveman can do it? That was the case with the loincloth-clad Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity as they dodged, ducked, dipped and dived in Alpha Xi Delta's and Delta Upsilon's second annual Dodgebrawl tournament.
On Oct. 27, UCF fraternities and sororities gathered at Memory Mall to face-off in a fierce dodgeball competition for the organizers' philanthropies.
Twenty-seven teams of six players each entered the tournament. Organizations paid $75 to form a team and were welcome to enter more than one team.
The tournament was broken into a bracket-style competition, one team eliminating another until a winner was declared. Teams dressed as superheroes, jack-o'-lanterns and a variety of other Halloween costumes all played two rounds per match on one of the four makeshift dodgeball courts while spectators enjoyed the musical stylings of Kid Judah, who DJ'd the event.
"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!" said an onlooker in the crowd, quoting the 2004 film Dodgeball as a green foam ball whizzed by participant Janelle Pedisich.
Pedisich, a junior biology major, was participating as a part of the Kappa Delta sorority's team that came in second place in the tournament.
"I signed up to play because it seemed like a fun way to raise money for autism and a great way to represent my sorority," Pedisich said. "I didn't mind getting hit for a good cause."
After three long hours, the ultimate champions of Dodgebrawl were Alpha Tau Omega for the fraternity bracket and Alpha Epsilon Phi for the sorority bracket.
Members of Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Upsilon grilled barbecue on-site that individuals could purchase to earn points for their fraternity or sorority.
Next to the grilling tent was a long table of colorful pumpkin buckets with the name of each Greek organization. Students could make donations to earn additional points for their team.
The Kappa Alpha Theta sorority took home first place for accumulating the most points overall by purchasing Dodgebrawl T-shirts, barbecue tickets, member participation, donations and more.
The money benefitted Alpha Xi Delta's national philanthropy, Autism Speaks, and Delta Upsilon's local philanthropy, Threshold Center for Autism.
Autism Speaks is a nonprofit organization that was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization and funds research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism.
Threshold Center for Autism's mission is to both guide and provide family centered care for children and adults with autism and related developmental disabilities here in the Orlando community.
Mike Guiliano, the vice president of philanthropy for Delta Upsilon, said that the main purpose of Dodgebrawl was not necessarily to raise money, but rather awareness.
"The thing is, there is really no amount of money that can leave a huge impact within the autism community so what we're doing is trying to raise awareness for autism and the cause," Guiliano said.
Delta Upsilon teamed up with Threshold Center for Autism last year and that is how Dodgebrawl was conceptualized. Last year the event raised more than $3,000.
Sponsors of the event donated various prizes for Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Upsilon to raffle off during the tournament. Rounds of golf from Congo River, games of bowling from Boardwalk Bowl and gift cards from establishments like California Pizza Kitchen, TGI Fridays and Greens & Grille were all up for grabs.
This year Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Upsilon raised more than $5,000 toward their philanthropies.
Kaley Darrigo, Alpha Xi Delta's philanthropy chair, was thrilled with the success of Dodgebrawl.
"We raised more money than we did last year and that was our goal," Darrigo said. "Hopefully we can raise more money each year we host the event and with that raise more awareness for the fight against autism."
www.centralfloridafuture.com/dodgebrawl-tournament-a-success-for-second-year-1.2393097
By Abigail Donaldson
Contributing Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Central Florida Future
Abigail Donaldson
Dodgeball — so easy a caveman can do it? That was the case with the loincloth-clad Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity as they dodged, ducked, dipped and dived in Alpha Xi Delta's and Delta Upsilon's second annual Dodgebrawl tournament.
On Oct. 27, UCF fraternities and sororities gathered at Memory Mall to face-off in a fierce dodgeball competition for the organizers' philanthropies.
Twenty-seven teams of six players each entered the tournament. Organizations paid $75 to form a team and were welcome to enter more than one team.
The tournament was broken into a bracket-style competition, one team eliminating another until a winner was declared. Teams dressed as superheroes, jack-o'-lanterns and a variety of other Halloween costumes all played two rounds per match on one of the four makeshift dodgeball courts while spectators enjoyed the musical stylings of Kid Judah, who DJ'd the event.
"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!" said an onlooker in the crowd, quoting the 2004 film Dodgeball as a green foam ball whizzed by participant Janelle Pedisich.
Pedisich, a junior biology major, was participating as a part of the Kappa Delta sorority's team that came in second place in the tournament.
"I signed up to play because it seemed like a fun way to raise money for autism and a great way to represent my sorority," Pedisich said. "I didn't mind getting hit for a good cause."
After three long hours, the ultimate champions of Dodgebrawl were Alpha Tau Omega for the fraternity bracket and Alpha Epsilon Phi for the sorority bracket.
Members of Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Upsilon grilled barbecue on-site that individuals could purchase to earn points for their fraternity or sorority.
Next to the grilling tent was a long table of colorful pumpkin buckets with the name of each Greek organization. Students could make donations to earn additional points for their team.
The Kappa Alpha Theta sorority took home first place for accumulating the most points overall by purchasing Dodgebrawl T-shirts, barbecue tickets, member participation, donations and more.
The money benefitted Alpha Xi Delta's national philanthropy, Autism Speaks, and Delta Upsilon's local philanthropy, Threshold Center for Autism.
Autism Speaks is a nonprofit organization that was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization and funds research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism.
Threshold Center for Autism's mission is to both guide and provide family centered care for children and adults with autism and related developmental disabilities here in the Orlando community.
Mike Guiliano, the vice president of philanthropy for Delta Upsilon, said that the main purpose of Dodgebrawl was not necessarily to raise money, but rather awareness.
"The thing is, there is really no amount of money that can leave a huge impact within the autism community so what we're doing is trying to raise awareness for autism and the cause," Guiliano said.
Delta Upsilon teamed up with Threshold Center for Autism last year and that is how Dodgebrawl was conceptualized. Last year the event raised more than $3,000.
Sponsors of the event donated various prizes for Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Upsilon to raffle off during the tournament. Rounds of golf from Congo River, games of bowling from Boardwalk Bowl and gift cards from establishments like California Pizza Kitchen, TGI Fridays and Greens & Grille were all up for grabs.
This year Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Upsilon raised more than $5,000 toward their philanthropies.
Kaley Darrigo, Alpha Xi Delta's philanthropy chair, was thrilled with the success of Dodgebrawl.
"We raised more money than we did last year and that was our goal," Darrigo said. "Hopefully we can raise more money each year we host the event and with that raise more awareness for the fight against autism."
www.centralfloridafuture.com/dodgebrawl-tournament-a-success-for-second-year-1.2393097
