Support These 7 Good Causes in Volleyball

Support These 7 Good Causes in Volleyball

In times of need, the volleyball community often comes together to help. Here are seven good causes that need your support.

May 24, 2016 by Megan Kaplon
Support These 7 Good Causes in Volleyball
In times of need, the volleyball community often comes together to help lift one of its own out of trouble. Online crowdfunding websites have helped volleyballers reach out to supporters and raise funds for everything from tournament fees and charity events to medical expenses.

Here are seven causes dear to the volleyball community’s heart that you might consider donating to:

1. Olivia Brodt’s Road to Recovery

Brodt was a two-time Massachusetts state volleyball champion at Barnstable High School and a member of the Babson College women’s volleyball team. In April, the 5-8 setter was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer. Olivia’s GoFundMe was set up to help her and her family cover their expenses while molding their regular schedules around chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Read more about Olivia and her fight against RMS here.

2. Haitian Men’s Volleyball Team to Trinidad

The Tigers, the top men’s team of the Tigresses-Tigers Sports Association in Haiti, received an invitation to the Ace It tournament in Trinidad. They set up a GoFundMe to help pay for airfare and uniforms, which they estimate will cost $15,000.

3. Lizzy’s Ironman Journey

Lizzy Reed, a former libero at Middlebury College in Vermont, is channeling her athletic abilities and fundraising efforts toward completing the Lake Placid Ironman. She hopes to raise $3,000 to donate to USA Volleyball’s IREVA High Performance program, where she received the majority of her volleyball training, and the Little Bellas, a mountain biking organization that aims to empower young women through cycling. Encourage a former college athlete as she pursues her next physical challenge and does some good along the way.

4. Shamira’s Fight Against Cancer

Shamira Williams, head coach of the Andy Dekaney High School volleyball team in Harris County, Texas, is battling Stage 2B breast cancer. The mother of four completed her chemotherapy, but has more treatment ahead, including surgery and radiation. Her husband created this GoFundMe page to help cover medical expenses. Find out more about Shamira on her Facebook page.

5. Aardwolves Aim for Nationals

Help send the Aardwolves' 13-1 team from Vancouver, Washington, to USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior Nationals in Indianapolis. The squad qualified, but in order to attend, they need to raise $5,000 to help pay for tournament fees, hotel expenses, airfare and food.

6. Spectrum Boys Chase Gold

The reigning USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior Nationals 16 Open champs from Spectrum Volleyball Club in Thousand Oaks, California, hope to defend their title in Dallas. A documentary is being filmed on the squad’s journey to the 2016 championship, and this IndieGoGo was set up to raise funds to cover the production costs of the film. They hope the film will raise the profile of men’s volleyball and help grow the sport.



7. Ethan to the Deaflympics

Sixteen-year-old St. Louis native Ethan Bell made the U.S. Deaflympic Men’s Volleyball team, and now he’s faced with the financial realities of competing. Deaflympic athletes must pay all their own expenses, so for Ethan to travel around the country to compete, and hopefully attend the 2017 Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey, he has quite a bit of fundraising to do. He’s more than halfway to his goal of $5,000—help him close the gap.