Senior journalism major Hung-yu Chen won the University Asklepiads Pre-Med Society’s table tennis tournament in a flurry of backhands and quick serves, but the event had a higher cause.
The society raised more than $150 to help fund muscular dystrophy research by hosting a 16-player table tennis tournament on Sunday.
The organization, named after the Greek physician Asklepios, is a student-run group open to all students interested in medicine. The society gives members a chance to gain valuable experience by participating in various medical-related volunteer opportunities.
President Brian Truong, a senior biochemistry major who coordinated the event, said the group will give all proceeds to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to help fund research.
Truong said the group also plans to volunteer at upcoming research clinics hosted by the MDA in the spring in order to allow group members to interact with muscular dystrophy patients.
“Instead of looking at it at a molecular level, this will give us the chance to look at it on a larger scale, which will give us a more personal connection to the patients,” Truong said.
Besides Sunday’s tournament, the society has already organized a bake sale, which raised more than $200. Truong said the group is also planning an ultimate Frisbee tournament for spring term.
“(The MDA) funds all of our research, so we like to help raise money for them to use in their research,” he said.
The society began their partnership with the MDA when Truong became president in 2005. He noticed society membership was waning and said he decided the group needed a focus in order to grow.
“No one was really coming to the meetings so I figured we needed something to work towards, something to raise money for,” Truong said.
Tournament games were played to 11, using a best 3-out-of-5 format. Players switched serving every two points.
Chen joined the tournament after speaking to Truong, who used his connections with club table tennis team coach Lee Werthamer to acquire the equipment needed to run the tournament.
Werthamer also recruited Todd Crump, a Springfield resident who became involved with the club team in 1998 after he met Werthamer during a garage game.
Truong said table tennis is a “life sport,” and many of the participants had at least a decade of experience.
Chen is a 16-year table tennis veteran, and Crump said he has been playing table tennis since he was 13 years old.
“It’s just a bonus that the proceeds go to a good cause,” Crump said.
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