Hog Splash
Hospice Brazos Valley and their partner Slovacek Foods are looking for community members who are willing to get down and dirty at their annual Hog Splash Mud Volleyball Tournament fundraiser on August 26.
The annual Hog Splash event features a mud volleyball tournament, tent decorating contest and a mudslide for those ages 12 and under; and this year the event has added a new aspect called the Piggyback Challenge, Fund Development Supervisor Dianne Lero says. The new Piggyback Challenge allows teams the chance to increase their sponsorship level by referring other teams. Sponsorship levels start out at $500 and go all the way up to $5000.
"What the Piggyback Challenge is, is that if you register your team and refer another team, and the other team joins, then your team gets elevated to the next sponsorship level,” Dianne says. "In other words, the referring team gets an upgrade to the next sponsorship level. It's a way to compete like a car dealership competes with another car dealership or one organization with another organization.”
Hosting the event for a 12th year, Hospice Brazos Valley puts on the fundraiser to raise funds for patient care, Dianne says. All proceeds from the event go directly to Hospice Brazos Valley to help them in their mission of providing worry free end of life care to their patients.
“Since we are a nonprofit hospice, we don’t send bills to any of our patients or their families,” Dianne says. “We rely on these fundraisers to make up the difference between what we are reimbursed from insurance or Medicare and what the cost of care actually is.”
In addition to all the mud fun, Hog Splash will also have a monetary raffle, food vendors and their beverage tent, which will serve soda, water, beer and hard seltzers. This year’s vendors include Napa Flats, Kona Ice, 1775 Texas Pit BBQ and Raging Bull Street Tacos.
“This year, we are going to have a 50/50 raffle,” Dianne says. “That means that out of whatever is collected, whoever wins will get 50% of that back.”
To be eligible to complete, you must gather a team of 8-10 people, be 16 years old or older and not be scared of mud. Being good at volleyball is not a requirement. The main purpose is for people to have fun and make memories while benefiting a good cause.
“It's a very competitive sport, but it's fun,” Hospice Brazos Valley Assistant Fund Development Supervisor, Lynn Stutts, says. “It's a fun game. All the serves are underhanded, and to make it fair for everyone, we do co-ed teams so that you don't have to be a pro at volleyball. You just have to want to get out there and play.”
There is still plenty of time for teams to sign up. Those hoping to play should register a team by Friday, August. 4.
“Last year, we had 48 teams total that signed up,” Dianne says. “Out of that, 45 teams actually competed, while three chose to just be sponsors. We always want to exceed the previous year because team registration is how we raise our money.”
The Hog Splash event will take place on Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to mid-afternoon behind Slovacek Foods in Snook. To register for the event or for more information and updates about the Hog Splash fundraiser, visit hospicebrazosvalley.org/hogsplash.
