Springfield College Esports Club Partners with Health Promotion Program to Raise Money for Alfred G. Zanetti Montessori Magnet School

Thu, 04/22/2021 - 12:00

The Springfield College Esports student-led club is partnering with the Springfield College Health Promotion Program to raise money for the Alfred G. Zanetti Montessori Magnet School in Springfield. Led by Springfield College Physical Education and Health Education graduate student and Esports club vice president Kadin deRuijter, students will be taking part in a live streaming e-sports competition on Sunday, April 25 from 1 to 4 p.m., and 6 to 9 p.m. Individuals interested in participating in the fundraiser can find more information at https://www.twitch.tv/springfieldcollegeesports.

During the fundraiser, deRuijter will be joined by Esports club members Luke Salls and Steve Cone, who will all demonstrate the importance of health promotion within the setting of Esports through interactive challenges and activities. The Springfield College Esports club has remained committed to stressing healthy life choices as part of their mission statement. During the fundraiser, participants will be led through challenges such as the jumping jack challenge, and squat challenge.

The trio will be playing a variety of games like Golf with Friends, Rocket League, Among Us, Valorant, and Brawlhawla. In addition, there will be a 30-minute question and answer session from 3:30 to 4 p.m.

"Springfield College Esports is the cumulative project of interest, competition, passion, culture, and community,” said deRuijter. “This group of individuals has demonstrated that the Springfield College mission and values are not limited to an in-person environment, but can manifest over an online platform. Together, we can spread awareness to a variety of health topics, draw attention to vital health behaviors, and support one another all while enjoying the vibrant creativity that video games help bring to life."

All money raised during this performance will go directly to the Zanetti school to help purchase school supplies, picnic tables, and sports equipment to accommodate the transition from remote to in-person learning.

“The Health Promotion Programs relationship with the Zanetti School has existed for over 10 years,” said Springfield College Health Promotion Program Director Leslie Beale. “Each spring semester, students in HLTH 343 Community Health Practices mentor lower grades (K-5) students in their academic studies. The purpose of the mentoring is based on the premise that education is a public health issue. That is, with more education a person lives longer, has better access to healthcare, and can make healthier choices.”

Beale went on to add, “The mentoring by Springfield College students also exposes elementary school students to college life. Some of the Zanetti students never met a college student or know little about how college can be a choice. Springfield College students model learning behaviors and provide social support to the Zanetti students during their weekly in-person visits, both pre-COVID and now mentoring is done via Zoom.”

In addition to the mentoring, Springfield College students are expected to engage in fundraising activities for the Zanetti School. For more than 10 years, students at the College have raised thousands of dollars in school supplies that include paper goods, bottled water, pencils, snacks, art supplies, sports equipment, and warm clothing such as hats, gloves, and socks.

This year’s fundraiser addresses the lack of basic school supplies such as paper, pencils, markers as well as picnic tables.