Students Will Face Off Against Faculty and Staff in Basketball to Support Wounded Warriors

Efstasia Karahalios ‘24

Fontbonne’s Students for Soldiers Club is in the midst of bringing back one of Fontbonne’s favorite activities - the Student-Faculty Basketball Game to support our troops and veterans.

Mark Surdyka moderates the Students for Soldiers club, which also involves co-presidents Victoria Palumbo and Grace Bradwisch, as well as vice presidents Ava Beradelli and Ava Mollaghan. Students for Soldiers is a club dedicated to providing assistance to our country's troops. They frequently host activities such as drives to send care packages to soldiers, fundraisers to send money, and writing letters to soldiers. The proceeds from the Student-Faculty Basketball Game are donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

“Last year, the Students for Soldiers club hosted a faculty vs students basketball game, with all proceeds going to Wounded Warrior Project. It was such a success that we wanted to run it back and make it an annual event,” says moderator Mr. Surdyka.

“Leading up to the game, we will be selling T-shirts and wristbands. The game itself will be in the gym after school. The date is TBD. Last year's game was pretty exciting, with the faculty holding off the students for a one-point victory. The game was very close and we had a lot of fun. At halftime, we had a half-court shooting contest and the winner took home a basket of prizes. We're planning to do the same thing this year. We're also hoping to raffle off several more baskets. Another huge hit was the bake sale that accompanied the game - be on the lookout for the same thing this year. We will have a nice amount of homemade ‘goodies’ to sell. A special shout out to the executive board of Students for Soldiers, who are helping to put this entire event together.”

The club's event was such a hit that students enjoyed the event and continue to look forward to it this year. Tiffany Roqueta '24, who is the club historian, says, “One of the events I look forward to the most is the faculty vs. student events that the club hosts because it's so nice to see a more relaxed side of our teachers. The atmosphere is generally relaxed and humorous; it seems that everyone is laughing and having a good time, all while contributing to a good cause.”

The club has not yet set a date for the event, as there are currently many events taking place in the gymnasium, such as practices, Sports Night related activities, and games.