Each month, every resident assistant on campus is required to provide his or her residents with two socials. Most residents are used to the typical movie night, arts and crafts or baked goods in their dormitory lobby. This semester, sophomore Resident Assistant Kelly Dougherty and the rest of the University Hall staff have mustered up something a little different. They’re taking residents back to those high school days with a good old-fashioned Powderpuff flag football tournament.
The tournament not only involves a team of females from University Hall but is inclusive of teams from the other residence halls as well. A total of eight teams are competing in the tournament that also serves as a charity event.
Of all of the sports and events that can be chosen and organized, why would Powderpuff be chosen? Dougherty says the idea came to her when she was trying to think of a social that incorporated something fun from high school that was still applicable to the college campus. Powder-puff was an obvious choice for her.
“It was a really great way to bond with and get to know some girls you might not see on an everyday basis. Plus it was a great way to let out a little aggression. So I thought, why not try to do it here?” Dougherty said.
She pitched the idea to her supervisor and the rest of her staff at University Hall and everyone was on-board to help.
Dougherty and her staff have spent almost the last two and a half months planning for this event. From gathering teams, organizing the schedule, planning the food, recruiting volunteers and figuring out donations, the University Hall staff has dedicated a lot of time and energy to this endeavor.
They have received additional help for the event from the University Hall Residence Hall Association, Maggie Trip the director of the Office of Service Learning and Volunteer Programs, different service organizations, and resident assistants from other buildings who have stepped up to take responsibility.
The charity that is benefiting from the Powderpuff event is Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which represents the fight against childhood cancer. The organization started with a young girl with cancer named Alex Scott who set up lemonade stands on her front yard to collect money for cancer research. Now the foundation has raised over $25 million. Alex passed away in 2004 at eight years old, but she is survived not only by a loving family, but also by an organization that is working to help children all across the country.
Dougherty chose Alex’s Lemonade Stand because she was familiar with the cause but had never directly participated in it herself. She was impressed by Alex’s story and her spirit, and thought that the Powderpuff tournament was a good opportunity to finally be able to give to the cause.
To raise money for the charity, those working the event will be selling food and raffle tickets for different prizes. Donations will also be collected. Dougherty hopes to raise $1000 and believes that this is a feasible goal.
Throughout the event, WCUR will broadcast live and play music for entertainment. Dougherty also hopes to have some live musical performances and a representative from the organization to come and speak. There will also be a lemonade stand.
“Though the day’s events will be really fun and entertaining, I cannot stress enough the reason that this is all happening, and that’s Alex. Through this whole process it has been really important to keep that notion in the forefront of everything,” Dougherty said.
The tournament will be held on Saturday, March 28 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Farrell Stadium on South Campus. The event itself is free and all students are welcome and encouraged to bring friends and family members.
Anna Moronski is a third-year student majoring in Communications and minoring in Journalism. She can be reached at AM626969@wcupa.edu.