By: Carrie Ratkevich, Staff Reporter
The Executive Council of Students has put together a team for the 18th Annual Aaron’s Mudd Volleyball Tournament this year, said Treasurer Daniel Meza.
The tournament to benefit the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation will be held Saturday, June 9, said Meza. Teams will face off in a round-robin tournament of mud volleyball, he said.
“It’s more about having fun and helping raise money for Carrie Tingley Foundation, than winning; however, we’re going to give it our best,” said Meza.
The team consists of Stephen Martos, Cesar Silva, Emily Sarvis, Lisa Rivera, Melissa Martinez, Esperanza Leyva, Leona Adams, Grace Rose, Daniel Meza and Terence Wesslith, he said.
“Executive Council of Students is participating in mud volleyball as a team-building exercise. We have also reached out to other chartered student organizations for their participation,” said Meza.
The team held a practice and barbecue on June 1 to prepare for the tournament at Burton Park, said Vice President Stephen Martos.
“The practice was really encouraging because it illustrated why we are doing this,” said Martos.
The council decided to organize a team to bring students together as a community, said Martos. The tournament might also help make the Executive Council of Students more visible to the students, he said.
“We got to meet new people and had fun doing it,” said Martos.
Participating in the tournament is also a good way to set an example to the student community about volunteerism and charity, said Meza.
“We would like to support as many charitable fundraisers as we can during the school year,” said Meza. “We would like to make this an annual event; the money raised benefits an outstanding organization.”
The Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation helps special-needs children and their families with their day-to-day needs and the challenges they face, he said. The foundation offers wheelchair camps and scholarships for therapeutic horseback riding and dance lessons to help enhance the lives of these children, he said. All the money raised by the tournament goes to the foundation, said Meza.
The tournament begins at 9 a.m. on June 9 at Rio Bravo and Second Street, said Meza. Parking is free but limited, so students should carpool to see the action, he said. Coolers will be allowed but outside alcohol is not, said Meza. For more information on the 18th Annual Aaron’s Mudd Volleyball Tournament or to volunteer, visit abqmuddvolleyball.org. For more information on the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation, visit carrietingleyhospitalfoundation.org.
“It’s a great way to have fun and give back to the community; there is no down side,” said Martos.
