A Call for B-Ball: Student Government Association to Host Annual Charity Basketball Game

Do you want to support a good cause by playing some basketball? Now is your chance to go toe-to-toe with your fellow peers and professors at the Student Government Association’s annual Charity Basketball Game. This year, the game will benefit Heal Animal Rescue located in Youngwood.

Breanna Tomsey, a senior public policy major and president of the Student Government Association, is spearheading the festivities set to occur on Feb. 29. 

“The charity game is an annual event that the Student Government hosts each year. In light of that, we choose a different game and a different charity to donate to every year. With that, this year we decided to go with basketball, which tends to be a crowd favorite,” Tomsey said.  

The game rakes in substantial profits each year, going directly to the charity of choice. Rachel O’Neill, a senior criminal justice and business major who serves as the speaker of the house for the Student Government Association, helped decide on the charity for this year’s event. 

“Every year it changes, but this year, the main focus was trying to keep with something very local,” O’Neill said. “Heal Animal Rescue is trying to open up a mobile spay and neuter clinic, so they have a specific amount they’re trying to raise this year. Personally, I volunteer at the Heal every Thursday night, along with other members of SGA and the advisor.” 

The event not only supports Heal Animal Rescue, but provides an outlet for students, and some faculty, to display their basketball chops.

“Students can invite faculty to come play as well. If there’s one professor they’ve been duking it out with academically all semester, they can duke it out, all in good spirits, on the court,” Tomsey said. “Who doesn’t want to go head-to-head with a faculty member?

Along with the initial payment of $10 to play, which includes a T-shirt, there is also a basket raffle of over 30 baskets that will take place from 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 29, and continue throughout the day until the end of the game, when the winners are drawn.

The game starts on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 5:30 pm, but sign-ups are still open. Students that are interested should sign up at the Chambers front desk and pay the $10 participation fee. For more information or any questions, students can reach out to Breanna Tomsey (bmt51@pitt.edu), Rachel O’Neill (rao28@pitt.edu), or Makala Ruffin, senate president (mar392@pitt.edu).