Powder Puff continues to grow

Some teams enter for fun. Some come for serious competition. No matter the reason, eighteen teams will play in the Fourth Annual Powder Puff flag football tournament.

The tournament, sponsored by Pi Kappa Alpha with the support of Jersey Mike’s Subs, was started four years ago with hopes of raising awareness and funds for the Ryan Gibson Leukemia Foundation.

The PIKEs set a goal to raise $5,000 dollars this year, all of which will go directly to the foundation. When approached about the opportunity, the female student groups were eager to lend a hand.

“It’s a great cause and it’s a good way to bond,” first-year Tri Delt captain Kathlyn Tarbox said. “It’s also a good way to bring the sororities together.”

In addition to the sororities, the Law School will enter a team coached by law student Andrew Novak, one of the tournament’s founders.

“I think it’s a great tribute to Ryan Gibson and it’s a great way to bring the campus together,” Novak said. “There are few campus events that really do that and I think this is one of them.”

In addition to bringing the campus together, the individual teams find the competition as a good opportunity to bond with their members and with other groups.

Every year, the tournament has grown in some way. When the event started in 1999, the finals were held in Sorority Park. The event was not allowed on campus.

After three years and incremental financial growth, the first few rounds of the tournament will take place on the Intramural Field.

For the first time in its young and successful history, the championship game will be played in Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

“It wasn’t hard to get the game in the stadium,” senior J.W. Marshall said. “When they heard about the cause and the success that we’ve had, they we willing to help.”

Marshall is one of the program’s organizers. As a first year, he was able to see the second tournament and can testify to its growth.

“The girls were excited before, but now it’s a higher level,” Marshall said.

Each group could enter as many teams as they wanted. Two groups – the Tri Delts and the Pi Phis – were able to get up enough interest in their respective houses to form three teams each.

“I’m glad that we got three teams out to show our support for their charity,” first-year Tri Delt Kathryn Bartunek said.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma new member team won the tournament last year. With those members joining the Actives team, they seem to be the favorite to win.

“The girls have been great,” junior Kristen Hatcher said. “They’ve brought in plays that they used last year.”

Each team is assigned two coaches from the fraternity. Some teams have practiced several times, while others have just begun to assemble their team. No matter how far along they are now, Saturday should be a day of fun competition for a good cause.