The Gamma Phi Beta chapter hosted its annual Moonball tournament, bringing together students to compete and raise funds for the Girls on the Run organization.
Girls on the Run is Gamma Phi Beta’s philanthropic partner, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young girls of all abilities. The chapter has been partners with this organization for over a decade and continually shows support to impacting young girls across the United States.
“Girls on the Run is important for us to support because it helps young girls of all abilities learn to embrace their inner strength and make meaningful connections with others,” said Daylee Dey, public relations representative and vice president of Gamma Phi Beta.
The term Moonball is used because the crescent moon is the sorority’s most frequent symbol. The Moonball event can involve tournaments in kickball, basketball or volleyball. The Moonball event hosted this year was a volleyball tournament.
Held at the Health and Sports Center, the competition featured male, female and co-ed brackets. Each of the 20 teams that signed up competed for the first place title and Moonball champion t-shirts within each bracket.
The event provided a healthy activity for students to participate in while supporting a good cause. The significance of the cause resonated with participants such as Gracie Woods, a member of the winning team in the female bracket.
“My favorite part is being around friends, making memories together and it being for a good cause,” Woods said.
Dey and Ahnika Svajgr, philanthropy chairwoman, assisted in the organization of the event. Throughout the night, chapter members were involved by providing music, announcing results and reffing.
“We’ve been hosting different Moonball tournaments each year since 2015,” Dey said. “Due to COVID-19, we had to cancel previous tournaments and were able to start it back up again in person in 2022. We are looking forward to continuing to host these in the future.”
Dey emphasized the fun of the tournament and the impact Girls on the Run has for her personally.
“Being able to give back to our community by supporting Girls on the Run is also something that’s so special to me because I used to participate in Girls on the Run when I was a young girl,” Dey said. “This organization was so special to me. Being able to spend my time and effort in making sure this event is successful for these young girls is something I’m very passionate about.”
The Gamma Phi Beta chapter is also hosting its annual pancake feed in the spring for students to attend where the proceeds go to the local Girls on the Run chapters. Dey said there are other opportunities to support Girls on the Run by donating time, money, items or becoming a coach.
Gamma Phi Beta continues its commitment to supporting Girls on the Run by raising $1,230 from the Moonball tournament.
