Slider image by Gabbie Granoff.

If you have been walking down the hallways of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA) for the last few months, you may have wondered what all of the blue flyers are for. Although they clearly tell you that there is a dodgeball tournament on Nov. 17, what else is there to know about this school event? For the first time ever, the HBHA Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) staged  this tournament, which took place in the Jewish Community Center (JCC) gym. Here is everything there is to know about the tournament.

The dodgeball tournament was a PTO fundraiser that is set to become an annual event.

 “All funds raised will go to the HBHA PTO to help pay for educational programs, school sports teams, technology upgrades, and so much more [that] the PTO supports,” Debra Arbesman, the organizer of the event, said.

 “I was inspired to create this event after a friend of mine told me about the dodgeball tournament her son’s school hosts every year.” Arbesman hopes that the dodgeball tournament will become as popular at HBHA as it is at other local schools. “It is one of the most highly anticipated events of the school year and one of their most successful fundraisers,” said Arbesman of the event at another school. 

To raise money, the PTO asked participants to donate in order to play, and spectators were asked to make a donation of $1 at the entrance. They also sold concessions that included hot dogs, pretzels, chips, and drinks. The tournament also included a raffle with prizes such as: The Bar Method membership, Genesis Gym membership, J membership, J Youth Training sessions, and a gift card from The Learning Tree. The tournament was sponsored by Krigel & Krigel, The J KC, Pomegranate Fine Judaica, Hy-Vee, and Costco.

In the tournament, there were 94 kids playing from both inside HBHA and outside of HBHA , alongside teachers and parents. 11 teams were formed: Twix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, DNAwesome, Frosted Flakes, Cap’n Crunch, Fruit Loops, Jailbreakers, Kings, The Dukes, and Yeladim Eitanim. Adults that played included teachers, Zohar Flacks, Todd Clauer, Leah Nash, Cody Welton, and Nicole Hollingsworth, security guard Ty Fernandez, and parents Aaron Zitron, Jered Nussbaum, and Chris Hobbs. The Kings and Jailbreakers were almost entirely formed of kids from outside the school. Students playing ranged from Kindergarteners to 10th graders. 

Overall, the fundraiser seemed incredibly successful. A large amount of family and friends came to the event and the players enjoyed the games. The Dukes won the tournament, and their team consisted of students: Sam Nussbaum, Sid Linafelt, and Drew Liss. It also consisted of parent Jered Nussbaum, and friends, Jonah Stolte, Max Goldstien, Eli Zeldin, Jack Jerwick, and Eli Nathan. Students and families enjoyed the event and are looking forward to participating again next year!