Will Nunn participating in the WSBU kickball charity game.
Photo courtesy of Danielle Clark.
BY: DANIELLE CLARK, STAFF WRITER
WSBU 88.3 FM “The Buzz,” St. Bonaventure University’s student-run radio station, raised $557 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation during its first annual charity kickball game on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Joyce Field.
The event brought together over 30 players, as well as volunteers and spectators, with the two teams taking the field at 4 p.m. Attendees wore pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one team took the field dressed entirely in pink.
St. Bonaventure students were invited to watch the game, enter a basket raffle and sponsor individual players. All proceeds from the fundraiser went toward breast cancer research.
Ryan Addeo, WSBU’s sports director, said the idea developed after the station hosted its annual spring basketball game last year. The success of that outing encouraged the station to find other ways to bring students together outside the studio.
“When we did the Buzz basketball game last year, we thought, ‘Wow, this is really cool. We should do this more often,'” said Addeo.
Addeo and Noah Randall, the station’s production director, began looking for a sport that would be accessible to students regardless of their athletic ability. Kickball eventually surfaced as a perfect option.
“We were like, ‘let’s just see what we can do with this,’” said Addeo.
Organizing the event also required securing a location. Addeo said utilizing the university’s softball field initially seemed like a long shot, but eventually came to fruition.
Once a date was set, the station decided to turn the game into a fundraising opportunity. With October officially recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the group fittingly chose the Breast Cancer Research Foundation as the beneficiary.
“I thought that would be a good cause,” said Addeo. “People showed up in pink. I think everybody really got behind it.”
The fundraiser came together without corporate sponsorships. Instead, volunteers contributed raffle prizes, including three gift baskets assembled by Addeo’s mother.
Going into the fundraiser, Addeo said he had modest expectations for how much the station could raise.
“My goal was, if we raise like $100, I’m happy,” said Addeo. “I didn’t expect it to be as much of a success as it was, honestly.”
The final total of $557 surpassed that initial goal by more than five times.
Addeo said support extended beyond the players and those who showed up on gameday. Friends, family members and faculty donated, while students and staff passing by Joyce Field also stopped to contribute and enter the raffle.
“Everyone was a huge part of it,” said Addeo. “I’m very, very thankful.”
With the turnout exceeding expectations, Addeo hopes the charity kickball game becomes a recurring event for WSBU. Although he will not be on campus next year, he implores future station leadership to continue the tradition.
For Addeo and his fellow station members, maintaining the tradition is important, regardless of the specific details. He believes the station could support a different charity in the future but would like to see the kickball game remain a part of campus life regardless.
