Editor’s note: In the print version of this story, the winner of the spirit award is listed incorrectly. The spirit award was given to Delta Gamma.

Flag football returned to Sacramento State again this year in the annual SAM Spady Foundation fundraiser, the Sorority Superbowl. The competition was fierce and the spirits were high as sorority girls ran, passed and tackled their way through the week before Spring Break.

All 10 Sac State sororities on the Panhellenic Council participated in the tournament, a fundraiser for alcohol awareness.

On March 20, the tournament began with a bang. There was music, football, fresh cut grass and sunshine, for about an hour. The clouds that rolled in brought rain and the spectators ran for cover. The small 10 feet by 10 feet tent that was set up for shade became an umbrella and was filled to capacity by people needing a shield from the rain.

As spectators took cover, the sorority girls that were in the heat of battle played through the downpour. There were seven players to a team on the 80 yard field and three referees. The sisters ran every play from simple handoffs to deep passes to flea flickers. On occasion, when flags were stubborn, defenders would tackle the runner with bone-crunching force. Due to rain and overtime, games finished up late on Tuesday and muddy, tired flag football warriors rested up for another day of competition.

March 21 brought a break in football, and the women played less physical games instead. There was music, an obstacle course, musical chairs and a guest speaker from Delta Gamma who spoke for about 15 minutes on the dangers of alcohol and the purpose of the SAM Spady foundation.

“This year we raised $1,600 for the foundation, which is really good,” said Anthony Filice, a member of fraternity Sigma Pi and the event’s head organizer. “The last two years, the spirit from the girls was low, but this year spirit was high and it really showed. This year a lot of people put a lot of effort into the event.”

Thursday brought sunshine and more football. After a loss, Daisy Vallasenor, a criminal justice major and a Lambda Sigma Gamma member, sat down to relax. “It was fun,” she said. “We were undefeated until now. It’s single elimination today and that killed us because we don’t get a second chance.”

Villasenor was one of the sisters who suffered an injury during play. “I thought my finger was broken, but I played anyway,” she said. “Lucky it just swelled up.”

Despite the bandage on her finger, she was optimistic for next year’s competition. “For the last three years we’ve lost to Chi Delta, but we’ll win next year,” Villasenor said with a smile on her face.

Chi Delta lost to Alpha Phi in the championship game. The cheers were loud and the competition was almost friendly, with only a few harsh words spoken during the very physical game. After the game, a party was thrown at MVP’s Sports Bar downtown, culminating the events of the week.

Sorority Delta Gamma won the spirit award, which was based on a points system. Points were awarded for things such as banners and the chalk markings that covered walkways and sidewalks throughout campus.

The $1,600 that was raised came in a variety of different ways. Each sorority involved in the competition donated money. Advertising sponsors featured in the pamphlets handed out before and during the event contributed to the funds, and the door charge at the after party all contributed to the fund.

“The after party was fun, but all of the girls were pretty tired from playing football, so it didn’t get rowdy or anything,” Filice said. “They talked a lot about playing against each other.”

Samantha Spady was a 19-year-old Colorado State student who died of alcohol poisoning in September 2004. Since her untimely death her parents have devoted themselves to educating parents and students about the dangers of alcohol and the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

The foundation’s official website, samspadeyfoundation.org, states: “SAM stands for Student Alcohol Management. The purpose of the foundation is to find an effective alcohol awareness program with emphasis on alcohol poisoning and high-risk consumption that can be implemented at colleges and universities in the United States. If such a program is not available, the SAM Spady Foundation will financially assist with the development of a program.” Brandon Van Meter can be reached at [email protected]