More than 50 students and faculty from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine raised $500 during a recent volleyball tournament fundraiser.
Held Feb. 13, the annual student volleyball tournament was hosted by two student organizations, the Pediatric Interest Group (PIG) and Global Health Advocates (GHA).
Proceeds from the tournament were donated to CARE House of Oakland County, a children’s advocacy center dedicated to preventing abuse, protecting children and promoting healing through advocacy, education, and treatment in Oakland County. According to its website, the organization offers a variety of programs, including forensic interviews and crisis intervention, for children and families at no additional cost.
Reem Fawaz, M2, vice president of PIG and president of GHA, said volleyball was chosen for this event to provide a more inclusive atmosphere and encourage participation.
“It is a good way to bring the class together outside of the classroom and stay active, to focus on something other than school for a few hours,” said Fawaz.
“And it was all for a great cause,” she added.
Volleyball is popular among OUWB students, according to Fawaz. Every Friday, a large group of students who call themselves “OUWB Spike Proteins” get together and play.
 |
|---|
| From left, Vereena Salib, Jasmine Bhatt, and Shahmir Mehdi, all M2s, celebrate a win during the tournament. Their team, the Piglets, also won the tournament. |
Getting to do what they love for a good cause was a bonus to participants like Vereena Salib, M2.
“It meant a lot to me to be able to play a game I love while supporting a cause that is near to my heart. Events like this are a great reminder of how much we can accomplish when we come together to support people in our own community,” she said.
Faculty and staff sometimes get involved, too, said Fawaz, which is why it was decided to open the fundraiser up to them as well.
Abram Brummett, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Foundational Medical Studies, participated in the event.
“I had a great time playing with the students at the volleyball tournament,” said Brummett. “We spend so much time in the classroom thinking together that it's fun to do a different activity like this that involves moving together. But most importantly, it's a show of support for CARE House, a truly essential organization that works to protect and prevent the abuse of vulnerable children in our community.”
For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].
To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
