Fraternity hosts powder-puff tournament to fundraise for cancer

The Delta Tau Delta fraternity held its eighth annual powder-puff football tournament Saturday to raise money for IU Circle of Life, a not-for-profit philanthropy organized by IU students to raise money for cancer research. Alpha Xi Delta’s team won the event.\n“This year we have 32 teams in the tournament,” said sophomore Logan Marks, philanthropy co-chair for the fraternity. “The majority of our work is getting people here; awareness of the event is a huge deal.”\nThe event has already raised more than $2,300 and additional proceeds are still being calculated, said Chad Casey, president of Delta Tau Delta. To enter the tournament, each team pledged $85. Delta Tau Delta sold event T-shirts for $15 each.\nThe tournament was run as a single-elimination bracket, and the games consisted of two 12-minute halves. Between seven and 10 women competed on each side, and their teams were coached by two men. \n“I’m really mad that we lost. I thought we would do much better this year,” said sophomore Kristin DeSent, disappointed by Delta Zeta’s early exit from \nthe tournament.\nReferees were assigned to each field to keep things \nin order. \n“The officiating rules range from field to field,” said senior Mark Adams, head referee. “We do the best we can, but they always turn into tackle games \n– unintentionally, of course.”\nThe competition was fierce, and the women competing weren’t afraid to get their uniforms a little muddy. Team coaches did their best Vince Lombardi impressions – donning old jackets and top hats while sporting the coach’s infamous cigar. \n“It’s amazing how serious these girls take the competition,” said Jim Wilmot, philanthropy co-chair. “The freshmen are especially interesting to watch. A few girls are always exclaiming ‘we’re going to be the champions,’ and they \nmeant it.”\nCasey was confident that his Alpha Xi Delta team would compete in the championship later that day. He had just defeated sophomore and fellow Delts member Phil Smith’s team and left his friend with some \nencouraging words.\n“Don’t view the loss as a complete failure, Phil,” Casey joked. “The IU Circle of Life is still winning \nhere today.”\nOf the 32 teams that took the field at 10 a.m. Saturday, only two were left standing by 5 p.m. Casey’s Alpha Xi Delta squad was set to take on defending champion Alpha Omicron Pi. \nAlpha Omicron Pi led throughout most of the final game but the Alpha Xi Delta squad struck last with a 35-yard touchdown pass to take the crown and the bragging rights.