The Seton Hall University Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted the third-annual Gatorade Pong Tournament on Monday, Feb. 24, in the Richie Regan Athletic Center Field House.
Hosted in conjunction with Seton Hall Athletics’ H.A.L.L. (Helping Athletes Learn to be Leaders) Program, the event benefited Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and helped raise awareness about the perils of drinking and driving.
The event lasted nearly three hours and eight Seton Hall varsity programs had representation in the tournament field.
In addition to the competition, attendees participated in an open discussion led by MADD representative Maria Estevez, who shared her personal experiences in hopes of furthering the organization’s meaningful message.
“Gatorade Pong has quickly become one of the most popular events on our calendar,” said Roberto Sasso, Assistant Athletic Director/Student-Athlete Development & Leadership and director of the H.A.L.L. Program. “Our student-athletes enjoy the opportunity to compete against one another and this year, we opened it up to all students and the response was tremendous. The atmosphere was light and positive throughout, but more importantly, our students recognized the significance of the MADD mission and were excited to be a part of such as worthwhile cause.”
“Drunk driving is something that hits close to home for a lot of people and as college students, we have a responsibility to address the dangers and help promote awareness,” added SAAC President and senior men’s swimmer Joey Lacus. “Opportunities to be a part of events like this are a big part of what it means to be a student-athlete; especially here at Seton Hall. The way all of our teams come together to rally around causes like this makes being a Pirate that much more meaningful.”
Men’s soccer senior Kevin Matthews and senior baseball manager John Browning were the big winners of the evening. For their efforts, they received gift cards from local restaurants Tito’s Burritos of South Orange and SuzyQue’s Bar-B-Que.
Seton Hall Athletics would like to thank Tito’s Burritos and SuzyQues Bar-B-Que for their contributions and helping to make the event a success.
All proceeds from the event will go to support MADD and its various initiatives.
About SAAC The Seton Hall Student Athlete Advisory Committee is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience. The committee, consisting of members from each varsity team, plans and executes community service events among student-athletes and also explores ways to engage student-athletes with the general student population. The SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses.
About Mothers Against Drunk Driving Founded by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. With the help of those who want a safer future, MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® will end this danger on America’s roads. PowerTalk 21® is the national day for parents to talk with their kids about alcohol, using the proven strategies of the Power of ParentsTM to reduce the risk of underage drinking. And as one of the largest victim services organizations in the U.S., MADD also supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, serving one person every nine minutes through local MADD victim advocates and at 1-877-MADD-HELP. Learn more at www.madd.org or by calling 1-877-ASK-MADD.
Source: http://www.shupirates.com/genrel/022514aaa.html
