West Chester University’s Circle K held its seventh annual volleyball tournament in support of the Eliminate Project on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. in the Hollinger Field House.
The Eliminate Project is an initiative started by Kiwanis International and UNICEF in 2010. Their goal is to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus, which is a disease that claims the lives of nearly 60,000 babies and women each year.
While the event did not start until 1, Circle K volunteers began setting up at 11:30 a.m.
In spite of one team from Philadelphia not able to come due to the inclement weather, there were a total of 18 teams that competed in the tournament.
The games were single elimination bracket style, with four teams playing at a time and each game lasting 20 minutes.
During breaks, many team members had the opportunity to work on service projects. These projects included making blankets and craft kits for children’s hospitals in the nearby area.
There were also several raffle items, which consisted of a $50 Wegmans gift card, a $25 Más gift card, a $25 Applebee’s gift card, and a $10 Kiwi gift card. Students could buy two tickets for $1, get an arm’s length worth of tickets for $5, get one ticket for each service project they did, or get one ticket for each canned food they donated.
About two boxes of canned foods were collected, which will be given to the Salvation Army.
Circle K Fundraising Chair Emma Majewski had a prominent role in securing the raffle items from West Chester businesses.
“It was amazing how much people donated, how many raffle tickets we actually sold, and how much we’ve given to the Eliminate Project,” said Majewski. “It felt really rewarding.”
Freshman Alex Land was one of many who participated in the volleyball tournament, playing in freshman Molly Donegan’s team Sets on the Beach.
According to Land, Donegan approached him in class and asked if he was interested in joining her team. Land agreed because he thought it sounded like fun.
Prior to the event, Land woke up early to “make sure [he] ate something good” and did warm-ups with his team.
“My favorite part was when we won our first game because we were behind by a little bit and came back,” said Land.
Alumnus Eugene Law also enjoyed participating in the volleyball tournament.
“Despite [the] snow, many were happy to come to this event,” said Law. “It was a great time to see everyone, including friends, alumni, and others.”
According to Circle K Vice President Theresa Kelly, she appreciated the diversity among the teams, ranging from a cappella groups to fraternities.
“It was nice seeing such a wide variety of students come together for a common cause,” said Kelly.
Sophomore Greg Donnelly, also known as DJ GR!DLOCK, served as the DJ at the event.
The tournament lasted approximately four hours, ending at around 5 p.m. Team I’d Hit That ultimately reigned victorious.
Between the money collected from registration, raffles, and T-shirts, Circle K raised $643 overall for the Eliminate Project.
This means that, with each vaccination costing $1.80, Circle K and the volleyball players saved 357 mothers, as well as their future babies.
If any students wish to learn more about the Eliminate Project, they can visit their website at http://www.theeliminateproject.org.
Casey Tobias is a first-year student majoring in women and gender studies. She can be reached at CT822683@wcupa.edu.