Black Bear Battle Ball a hit for second straight year

Originally Posted on The Maine Campus via UWIRE

Students donned large bubbles for a game of the second annual game of Black Bear Battle Ball soccer in the dome Saturday afternoon to benefit the Shriners Hospital for Children.

The event, put on by the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, featured teams of five in single-elimination 7 minute games. It was full contact, as with the bubbles, players simply bounced off of each other.

“We switched BBBB from the spring to the fall but out of nowhere we ended up with 38 teams,” ATO brother Connor Scott said. “We filled it up, which is really good this year.”

The event was funded by student government and free for students to sign up and play, a major factor in the 190 students that the event drew.

ATO raised $501 for Shriner’s, a hospital that holds a special place in Scott’s heart.

“Last year, one of our senior’s, when he was a kid, had a surgery that cost $600,000, which he could not have afforded,” he said. “The Shiner’s took him in an they paid for his surgery and all the recovery he needed and to this day if he needs anything associated with that, they take care of him.”

Students embraced the event and its competitive nature, while at the same time keeping it light.

“Even though we lost, it was still fun,” said one participant. “Just the concept of Battle Ball is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done.”

While the event raised a good amount of money, Scott and the other brothers involved are looking to the future. They are looking to raise more money next year by adding another field to meet their new goal of $2,000.

“We want it to become a UMaine tradition and something we can grow every year,” Scott said in an email. “We will have a much bigger event and raise a lot more money.”

Read more here: http://mainecampus.com/2015/10/07/black-bear-battle-ball-a-hit-for-second-straight-year/
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