Two lines of dodgeballs sat at middle court of the WRC’s upper courts. It was the calm before the storm. Eight teams brought their A-game on Sunday for Kappa Sigma’s annual Dodging for Diabetes dodgeball tournament benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. 

According to Jordan Miller,  junior public relations and communications double major, the issue of juvenile diabetes hit UNI’s Kappa Sigma chapter close to home.  

“This event is important to us because it was actually started five years ago for a brother that had juvenile diabetes,” Miller said. 

For Austin Sanford, sophomore finance and real estate major, it was important to realize that diabetes was not just an issue that correlated with obesity. 

“I feel not many people realize that this is a disease that affects a lot of people,” Sanford said. “It’s just kind of like, diabetes, you think of obese people, but diabetes is something that kids get, and it’s a big deal that I don’t think many people recognize.”

Paul Andersen, junior public administration major, has participated in the event for the past three years. 

Andersen is part of SigEp and attended the event to support Kappa Sigma in their philanthropy. Andersen, who is diabetic, has worked with the JDRF foundation since he was a kid.

“So, the fact that they were going out and supporting that was really awesome to see,” Andersen said. 

Andersen said events like this are important on the college campus level because it not only brings people here at UNI closer together and unites them in a common goal, but it also works toward helping other people outside of this community. 

Aside from helping others outside of the UNI community, Taylor Welden, senior elementary education major, thought events like these are perpetual.

“We’re here for school but we’re developing other skills and we’re doing something you could do for a lifetime, like continue volunteering and participating in events like this,” Welden said.

Welden, also part of Greek Life, heard about the event via Facebook and word of mouth and wanted to support her fellow Greek Life members.

Welden said that part of Greek Life was to support the philanthropies of the other groups. 

“ . . . I don’t personally know anyone with diabetes but it’s still a good cause,” Welden said. 

Eight teams took the floor, including: the Purple Unicorns, SigEp Texas, Sigma Kappa’s, Kappa Gamma, Kappa Sigs, SigEp Roadhouse, Alphies Ladies and The Bee’s Knee’s. The winners of the tournament, the Purple Unicorns, won a $50 gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings with the second and third place teams winning dodgeballs.

SigEp Texas won second place and SigEp Roadhouse won third place in the tournament.

Sanford hoped that all the participants would remember the event and spread the awareness. 

“I hope they know that it’s not just a dodgeball tournament,” said Sanford. “It’s going to something good.”