The Ball Owt Cancer Divine Nine Fraternity Basketball Tournament was on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Irvington High School.
The tournament was a collaborative effort by the Divine Nine Fraternities to unite people in the fight against childhood cancer. The $2,000 raised at the event will go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is at the forefront of the battle, according to organizers.
Magnus Acheampong-Quaye and Brandon Roberts organized the event that began in 2014 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The tournament has raised more than $12,000 since its inception.
“It was personal for me, my mother passed away from breast cancer,” said Acheampong-Quaye of Rho Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. “I wanted to give back to a charity that fights cancer.”
The tournament included more than 40 players from the “Divine Nine,” which is a nickname for the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which was founded at Howard University in 1930. It is composed of nine historically African American fraternities and sororities.
More than 200 people attended the event that ran from 2 to 7 p.m.
Arren Wilson, who calls himself DJ A Plus the CEO, donated his time and skill to the event. In addition to providing music, he also talked about his own experience with childhood cancer.
Seton Hall University’s Black Student Union dance team performed and Myra Lisa Samedy, a licensed clinical social work/therapist, who was also a sponsor of the event, spoke to players and spectators about mental health.
Other sponsors included the Newark Superior Officers Association, One Love Cultured Kids, Bethune Stogies, Monday Eve Co. and Agape Unconditional.
The Rho Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. hosted the event and got help obtaining the venue from Irvington Police Director Tracy Bowers and Schools Superintendent April Vauss.
Kappa Alpha Psi won the tournament and Kelvin Howard, a New York alumni of that fraternity, was named the most valuable player.
“I was very happy,” Acheampong-Quaye said. “It was a successful event. It’s great to have everybody get together to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
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