Put those class dodging skills to good use, play dodgeball instead

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Students can dodge more than classes at the Student Activity Center this weekend.

The “D-3: Duck, Dive, Dodge” dodgeball tournament will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday at the SAC.

The four-on-four competition will raise money for the Michigan Special Olympics. The cost is $40 per team, with room for 16 teams in the bracket.

“Our goal is just to fill the bracket,” said sophomore Neil Lamoureux, one of the students in charge of planning and running the event.

Meeting the goal would raise $640.

“Of course we’ll be taking straight donations, too,” Lamoureux said.

Four teams have signed up, and there will be a registration table at the SAC on Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. Teams also can register at the door.

First place prize will be Detroit Pistons tickets. The second place prize is still undecided, but will most likely be a copy of “Dodgeball” on DVD and popcorn.

The tournament is a group project for RPL 430: Planning Recreational Programs and Events.

“We have lectures and a few exams, but this was the main part of the class,” Lamoureux said.

Students were placed into small groups to organize a recreational event to raise money for the charity of their choice.

Lamoureux’s group also discussed holding a root beer or water pong tournament or a basketball tournament, but settled on dodgeball because it is fun and accessible to anyone.

Other groups in the class are holding a basketball tournament, a game show, fashion show and kickball tournament.

The biggest lesson the team has leaned is that organizing an event like this is not easy.

The tournament is sponsored by Gordon Food Service, various local restaurants, the Detroit Pistons and Sprite soda.

When making calls to get sponsors, some of the girls in the group spoke directly to Joe Dumars, the Pistons’ general manager.

“They (the girls) had no idea who they were talking to. I was super excited when I realized who it was. It was so cool,” Lamoureux said.

Questions about the event can be sent to d3tournament@gmail.com or Lamoureux’s Facebook page.

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