Big Pink Volleyball gives back to local charities

The color pink fills the month of October. From sport jerseys to annual walks, the month is recognized as the National Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Wichita State Student Health Services and S.W.A.T. are playing their part in promoting awareness by hosting the Big Pink Volleyball fundraising tournament. S.W.A.T. is a student organization that focuses on and promotes health and wellness to the WSU community.

“Early Detection Works and Victory in the Valley will possibly be attending the event to hand out information,” Heather Stafford, Associate Director of Student Health Services and S.W.A.T. adviser, said. “They can provide preventative information and if someone is going through cancer, they can provide support.”

All proceeds will be distributed between Victory in the Valley and Early Detection Works. Victory in the Valley provides families of those that are currently battling cancer with services they might not have access to elsewhere. Early Detection Works provides free mammograms to women without health insurance.

The entry fee of $10 a person for each of the five to seven team members includes a T-shirt. All participants must be 18 years or older to play and do not have to be WSU students.

Both Victory in the Valley and Early Detection Works are local and provide assistance and resources to women throughout the Wichita area.

“Both foundations are absolutely amazing,” S.W.A.T. President Brittany Osborn said. “They do all the little things that you don’t think about, like going to the grocery store [for patients].”

Students are encouraged to organize a team to participate in the fundraiser. Those who are not sports oriented are also encouraged to participate.

“You don’t have to have athletic ability,” Osborn said. “It’s all about fun and it’s not competitive. There is nothing to be intimidated about.”

To add fun to the mix, participants will use a four-foot wide pink volleyball during the tournament.

This year, the tournament has expanded to more than three courts versus the two used in previous years to accommodate more players. The games will be played in a double-elimination format instead of single-elimination.

The fundraiser begins at 9 a.m. on Oct. 5 in the Heskett Center. Teams interested in participating must submit registration forms to Student Health Services by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Forms are available at the Heskett Center, Counseling and Testing Center in Grace Wilkie Hall and Student Health Services in Ahlberg Hall.