Sixty percent of the proceeds from the annual volleyball tournament go to the Peanut Butter and Jelly Project.
Backdrop Magazine raised around $200 for the Peanut Butter and Jelly Project in its charity volleyball tournament Friday on South Beach.
The tournament raised about $330 total, with 11 teams of about five people participating. 60 percent of the proceeds went to the Peanut Butter and Jelly Project, an organization that helps to feed children in need during the summer months when subsidized school meals are unavailable, said Zachary Berry, a junior studying strategic communication and current associate editor of Backdrop.
“I think that any amount of money we can raise for the Peanut Butter and Jelly Project is good,” Berry said. “It goes to helping feed the children of Athens in the summer when they don’t have the resources they have throughout the year, and it helps them get access to that meal.”
Last year’s tournament was canceled because of bad weather, and the first tournament raised around $300, with proceeds going to the Passion Works Project, said Becca Zook, a junior studying journalism and marketing director for Backdrop.
“It doesn’t quite meet the goal I was hoping for, but since we’ve been having issues with weather, we weren’t sure if anyone would show if it was going to rain,” Zook said.
For each team registered, $18 of the $30 fee goes to the Peanut Butter and Jelly Project, which some participants said is worth it for a good cause.
“It’s always a good thing to do a good deed and have fun while you do it,” said Kenzie Fisher, a freshman studying wildlife biology. “I don’t mind at all paying $5 and $30 in all to have money go to this fund.”
In addition to the proceeds, Backdrop is also donating any leftover materials from the peanut butter and jelly bar offered at the event.
“Everyone really likes the idea of giving more than just the 60 percent of proceeds,” Zook said. “We like to give the actual substance as well.”
Teams were divided up into a bracket with each match lasting 15 minutes or until one of the teams reached 21 points, whichever was quicker, Berry said.
Backdrop also had a DJ, Jeanyus, at the event.
“They’re having fun, they’re playing volleyball, but they’re also engaging and involving themselves in a way that gives back to the children of Athens and the city that we’ve come to call home when we’re here at Ohio University,” Berry said.
@kcoward02
kc769413@ohio.edu
