Hoops for Hearing

By Caroline Ryan
Assistant News Editor

On Wednesday, April 13 at 6 p.m., the women of the sorority Delta Zeta will be hosting Hoops for Hearing, a five-on-five charity basketball tournament, at the Pratt Recreation Center. There will be both a men’s and women’s bracket; with teams of five players and a coach of the team’s choice or one provided by Delta Zeta. The event is open to sports teams, as well as anyone else from the Post community that wants to participate.

Delta Zeta is running this basketball event to help support the Starkey Hearing Foundation in its mission to “provide people all over the world with hearing aids, completely free of charge.” The national sorority has pledged to try to raise $5 million in five years to help support the foundation.

Research shows that one out of eight children and teens in the United States has permanent hearing loss, caused by high-volume sounds. This is an alarming trend that has increased 30 percent in the last decade alone. It is also a condition that, in most cases, is 100 percent preventable through better listening habits.

Theresa Kelly, a freshman music education major, and the Vice President of Programs for the LIU Post chapter of Delta Zeta, said, “We’re really excited to get the entire school community involved in this playfully competitive basketball tournament for an amazing cause. In addition to seeing some of your friends and classmates going head to head in five-on-five games, there will also be lots of chances to win some awesome raffle baskets made by the sisters of Delta Zeta!”

In addition to the games, the event will also have a special halftime performance, which has yet to be decided, and raffles. Each basketball game will be about ten minutes long. The team with the most points at the end of ten minutes will advance to the next round.

In order to bring awareness to the philanthropy’s mission to improve speech and hearing, the final round will be a silent game. During this game, players will not be allowed to make any noise. If they do, every time they talk, their team will donate $1 to the charity.

Alyssa Hu, junior finance major and the president of Delta Zeta, said, “I am so excited for our philanthropy event this semester, Hoops for Hearing. I think that it will be a great night for everyone. I can only hope that we will be as, or even more successful as last semester.” Last semester, the Delta Zeta sisters raised $1,000 at an event called Dr. DeZirable, which was a male pageant that consisted of three rounds, dress to impress, talent and Q&A . “I really want to encourage everyone to come out and join us for this event. Not only will it be a lot of fun, but it will help make a difference in someone’s life,” said Hu.

“The gift of hearing opens up a whole new world of opportunity. It connects individuals to life and helps them realize they can accomplish more than they ever thought possible,” said Brittany Amadio, a junior early childhood education major and a member of Delta Zeta.

Tickets for the event will be sold by the Delta Zeta sisters every Wednesday in Hillwood Commons during common hour. Tickets to attend are $3 at tabling and $5 at the door. Teams of five will be $25 or $5 per player. Questions can be referred to Delta Zeta’s Vice President of Philanthropy, Brittney Amadio, at Brittney.Amadio@my.liu.edu

To help Delta Zeta and the Starkey Hearing Foundation, make a donation at: https://dzhikeforhearing.org/persongroup/piupsilon.