On Saturday, dozens of students took aim at each other with foam balls, with the goal of ultimately helping grant a child’s wish.

The Wishmakers at Syracuse University held its second annual dodgeball tournament on Saturday in the Women’s Building as a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York and raised $200 for the cause. Wishmakers is the college chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants ill children’s wishes, said club president Luis Castelan, a senior biology major.

Wishmakers has been active on the SU campus for four semesters and its main goal is to raise money for the greater Make-A-Wish Foundation. The club’s purpose is to provide stepping stones in helping raise funds to grant a child’s wish, said Wishmakers’ event coordinator Pasang Lhamo, a senior policy studies and public relations major.

The dodgeball tournament was organized as a bracket style event. There were five teams that participated this year and it was a best two out of three games played. The two teams with the best record moved forward to the final round, Castelan said.

Although the tournament had fewer teams participating this year compared to last year, some teams had more members than in the past, Castelan said. To register, each player had to donate $5 to the cause and each team consisted of at least five players.

Leading up to the event, the executive board of the Wishmakers club had to reserve the Women’s Building gym and advertise the event to the SU community. Castelan said they were fueled by the success of the event at the university last year. In previous years, professors and teams became very involved and enjoyed the event, donating even more than the required amount to enter, Castelan said.

One of the teams that participated in this year’s dodgeball tournament was the SU Sport Management Club. This was their first year being involved, but they were excited to be a part of such a good cause. In addition, later this year, the Sport Management Club will be holding its 10th annual charity auction with the same beneficiary, Make-a-Wish Foundation of Central New York, said Chris Robinson, a senior sport management major.

Although excited to play hard and hopefully win the tournament, they were most excited to have fun and benefit a good cause, Robinson said.

Another upcoming event that Wishmakers has planned for this semester is a potluck dinner. But the bulk of its short-term goals for this year will be transitioning to a new executive board for the group, due to many seniors graduating, Castelan said.

Other events and fundraisers that SU Wishmakers have planned for the rest of the year include a 5K run next semester and a week in April entitled Wish Week. Over the course of the week, each day has a different event in support of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Such events include tabling events, raffles, movie nights and benefit concerts, Castelan said.

Many ideas for the fundraisers that SU Wishmakers hold are different each semester based on the input of the members who follow a simple yet effective system of planning, brainstorming and executing.

Castelan said one particular event the group is particularly excited about is a kid who has had his wish granted through the foundation attending a Wishmakers meeting at the beginning of next semester.

Published on October 27, 2014 at 12:01 am

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