“I am strong, I am proud, and I’m not afraid to shout it out loud!” This is the cheer of Strong Women Strong Girls (SWSG), and it applied to every team that participated in the powder puff game.
On Sunday, October 9, SWSG held it’s first annual Powder Puff Football event at Gesling Stadium. Four teams consisting of seven or more girls came out to support the cause. The organization raised $100, which is high for an organization that does not receive funding from outside sources.
To keep with the Strong Women theme, each field was marked with a strong woman in history-Michelle Obama, Princess Diana, Lauren Williams, and Coco Chanel in the form of a creative posters made by the organization’s executive board.
SWSG is a mentoring program where college students engage third to fifth grade girls in activities that promote self-esteem and confidence. 30 mentors from Carnegie Mellon University’s chapter visit inner city Pittsburgh schools and community centers each week to mentor. Carnegie Mellon University’s chapter currently aims to expand its influence and involvement on campus.
Events Coordinator, Jess Sochol, headed event planning for the Powder Puff game. After the event she spoke to me and said, “I’m so happy that it all went well! All of the organizing and planning took a lot of time, but it was worth it to see people enjoying the games and to lay the foundation for the event in future years.” All of the hours spent planning paid off in the end, because the event ran smoothly and was a success.
To improve the event next year, Jess says SWSG will use “a different hour and day to get more people to participate, advertising earlier, and t-shirts to remember the event.”
The four participating teams came from Stever House, Kappa Alpha Theta, Boss-McGill combined with SWSG Duquesne, and CMU’s own SWSG chapter participated.
The winner of the tournament was the Boss-McGill/SWSG Duquesne combo team. They were recognized with a certificate and thanked for their support. Stever also received a certificate for the best team uniform: tie-dyed green shirts proudly displaying their house’s name.
All of the proceeds from the event went to Strong Women Strong Girls to help fund this year’s program. Jess also said, “I, and all of Strong Women Strong Girls, are so thankful for the support we got from this event.” If you missed the event keep an eye out for Strong Women Strong Girls on campus and attend the event next year.