Piscataway- This year the Piscataway HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) held a charity volleyball event including HOSA chapters from South Plainfield, Woodbridge Academy, and a Piscataway Alumni team. They hosted a volleyball game to raise money for medical treatment through the National Marrow Donor Program.

This organization researches and maintains a system for bone marrow and blood related cells for individuals with Leukemia. It is a national partner of HOSA and establishes the core idea of the desire to help others and enhance their lives by protecting their health.

Each school selected students to participate in the matches. The host school, Piscataway, took home the win after knocking off South Plainfield.

The event was a major success, raising nearly 4,000 dollars. It also was able to successfully bring a community together for a Charity event. I interviewed the Piscataway HOSA President, Safwan Rahman and he elaborated more on these successes:

”While the title of the event features the word ‘charity,’ which reflects one of its main objectives, I also want to highlight another element: community. The volleyball tournament united volunteers and spectators to support their school while simultaneously backing the cause” Rahman said. “Our chapter focuses on fostering a community of individuals who care for one another and work together to improve their community.”

One of the Piscataway HOSA volleyball players, Aarav Patel, spoke about what it was like to be on the court.

”I feel playing as a team and putting on a show for our community tremendously enhances my thoughts of the charity as we do it for a very important cause,” Patel said. “HOSA’s mission is to bring a community together to work towards supporting a very important cause.”

There were many setbacks in the production of this event. Rahman elaborated more on being flexible is a crucial skill in event planning.

”Although challenges arose such as schools canceling, decorations failing to arrive and a single day spent pressing nearly 90 t-shirts, careful measures ensured these setbacks did not hinder the event’s success,” Rahman said. “I’m particularly proud of how even in the face of setbacks, we were able to pull through and make the event successful. I’ve learned that being adaptable is a crucial skill in event planning.”