March Madness is underway, and Whitman clubs have caught on to the competitive spirit, hosting sports tournaments of their own this month with motivations beyond just cutting down the nets.

Las Manos Unidas, a club that raises money for and helps local and international Hispanic communities, hosted a seven-on-seven dodgeball tournament last Friday.

The event had over 130 students in attendance and raised approximately $700, which impressed club members and may lead to an annual tournament, senior John Lydon said.

“I was very happy with the large turnout and overall the event was a big success,” he said. “Based on how successful the event was this year, it is likely that the club will run it again next year.

The event was originally supposed to raise money for the club’s service trip to Nicaragua, which was cancelled after the Zika virus outbreak. Instead, the club decided to donate the money to Helena Buarque de Macedo’s scholarship fund, Lydon said.

The Girl Up club held its own ¨March Madness¨ event March 12 in which 40 Whitman and Pyle students participated in a five-on-five round-robin basketball tournament. The $150 raised will be donated to Girl Up, a United Nations-sponsored organization that promotes the education, safety and empowerment of girls around the world. Specifically, that money will keep 30 girls in developing countries in school for a full year.

The event was especially rewarding for the participants because it supported such a worthy cause, junior Catherine Czjaka said.

“The empowerment of women in third-world countries sometimes falls through the crack when we talk about people in need around the world,” she said. “It brings light to an important topic when we do events like this.”

Other clubs should hold events similar to these competitions because they raise awareness for issues in a way more interactive than the typical fundraiser, Czjaka said.

“More clubs should definitely have events like this because it’s a great way to raise funds and more active than just holding a bake sale or food drive,” she said. “It’s an event where everyone can have fun with their friends all while helping people in need.”