Team “I’d Hit That” played in the annual SAAC Spring Student-Athlete community service event. The main purpose of the tournament was to serve as a canned food drive for the community.
Competitors and bystanders brought over 200 items of nonperishables to the UW Debate Union’s dodgeball tournament for donation to the Interfaith-Good Samaritan House, a local food bank that benefits the Laramie community.
“We wanted to do a community service project and give back to the community as we receive support for our team throughout the year,” Kathleen Bouzis, a member of the Debate Union, said.
This is the second year the Debate Union has hosted the tournament and the event has gained popularity and the event raised more food this year than last.
The “Jared Fannings” claimed the title of champions after several fierce elimination rounds.
The mission of Interfaith-Good Samaritan is to “cooperate with other organizations to provide assistance to women, men and children in emergency situations when no other help is available.” Donations to help with their cause are always welcomed and food is just one of the many things that they help those in need with.
“It [the dodgeball tournament] helps us provide food for people in Laramie and Albany County that need food and it also provides food for the Albany County School District # 1 backpack program,” said Tom Martin, executive director and chief cook at Good Samaritan. “Every week, 71 backpacks go home with kids to feed about 180 kids over the weekends. It helps to feed the school kids and their families.”
The Debate Union is an RSO that had just come off of a successful season. The team recently reached the Sweet 16 of the Cross-examination Debate Association (CEDA) national championships. This is only the third time that this has happened. It also was a season for a first.
“This is the first time UW has had two qualifying teams in the NDT (National Debate Tournament) since 2009,” said Travis Cram, UW debate coach.
Cram also said that the team of Amy Pauli and Mary Marcum will be returning to competition next year and are poised to become the first all-women’s team from the university to reach the elimination rounds of the competition.
