Rotaract Club hosts benefits over July 24 weekend

Release Date: 07/13/09

The Rotaract Club at The College of St. Scholastica will host two events over the July 24th weekend, a LAN (local area network) party to raise money for children diagnosed with cancer, and a volleyball tournament to aid Pakistani refugees. Both events are open to the public.

The 6th Annual Jacob Smith Memorial LAN Party begins Friday, July 24, at 3 p.m. and ends at noon Sunday, July 26. Local college and high school students are invited to the LAN party, which will benefit children diagnosed with cancer. The event will be held in Storm's Den in the lower level of Tower Hall on campus.

LAN party participants are invited to bring their personal computers to network together with other gamers, play video games, and host tournaments. Video game consoles like Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo Wii are also welcome. Door and tournament prizes will be given, with special prizes presented to early arrivers.

The cost of the event is $25 for PC gamers and $15 for console gamers and spectators. The admission fee, collected at the door, covers all tournaments, parking and food for the event. About 100 participants are expected.

Proceeds will be used to purchase toys and medical equipment for children diagnosed with cancer, who are receiving care at the Fairview Minnesota Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.

The first Jacob Smith Memorial LAN party was organized by a group of local high school students to honor fellow student, Jacob Smith, who died after a long battle with cancer.

Volleyball Tournament

A sand volleyball tournament, "Spike for Swat," will be held Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Buffalo House, 2590 Guss Road, in Duluth. Proceeds from the event will support refugees from the Swat Valley of Pakistan.

Registration is $100 per team. See www.css.edu/swat.xml to register; deadline is Friday, July 17.

The idea, say organizers, came from a call to action by various welfare organizations that flocked to the war stricken Swat Valley in Pakistan after the Pakistani government launched an operation against the Taliban, displacing 3.5 million civilians.

"The circumstances in Swat Valley call for immediate action," said Bingshuo Li, event organizer and St. Scholastica Rotaract Club member. "This event provides an opportunity for students to provide timely assistance. And it fits our club's mission of addressing the needs and concerns of our community and world."

The tournament is cosponsored by St. Scholastica's Rotaract Club and International Club and the Rotaract Club at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Rotaract is a service club for young people sponsored by Rotary International.

For information on either event contact Li at bli@css.edu or (218) 269-9362.