Spike Out Sepsis 2012 to Rival the London Olympics
April 3, 2012 - Columbus, OH - It’s not quite the London Olympics, but Columbus, Ohio’s Spike Out Sepsis may be the next best thing. While Olympic volleyball athletes play to win medals, Spike Out Sepsis (SOS) volleyball players play to help raise awareness of sepsis and some much-needed cash at the same time.
Now it its fourth year, the annual event started when the Ohio State University Medical Center ICU nurses Jen MacDermott and Alicia Rendon wanted to find a way to raise money other than the traditional walks and runs that support so many other charitable causes. Since both played in recreational volleyball leagues, they proposed Spike Out Sepsis, and a new tradition was born.
James M. O’Brien, Jr., MD, an intensive care physician at the medical center, board member of Sepsis Alliance, and one of the SOS organizers explained that the event’s popularity is growing every year. “SOS outgrew its original location, so this year, Spike Out Sepsis will be held on June 23 at The Bogey Inn in Dublin, Ohio. This allows us to accommodate more teams and spectators.”
The entry fee is $200 for team of six players. In exchange, team member receives a t-shirt (six per team) and access to a team page, where players raise funds through pledges from supporters. These pledges can help teams win actual games. The more pledges a team has, the more “funds” they have available to them on game day to bid on lifelines or “buy” challenge items. For example, one lifeline could force the opposing team to serve with the opposite hand for one serve, while another can require the other team to sit down and only stand once the ball has been served.
If you can’t come to the tournament to play or to watch, you can participate by purchasing SOS t-shirts, supporting your favorite team or being a tournament sponsor. Of course, donations, either financial or of items that can be raffled or auctioned are always appreciated.
SOS is a fun event where fun and laughter is more the goal than serious athletic ability. However, the message behind SOS is serious. The more people who learn about sepsis and become aware of what sepsis is, the more lives may be saved. To date, SOS has raised over $25,000. Proceeds from the 2011 event went towards a billboard erected in Columbus, as part of the Faces of Sepsis campaign. As well, SA uses donations to continue its mission to provide educational materials and opportunities to the public.
A continuing education (CNE) event will also be held at the beginning of the day for anyone who is interested. This free event begins at 10 a.m. For nurses: For information regarding nursing contact hours, please contact Sereana Dresbach, PhD at 614.366.8343.
The Ohio State University Medical Center, Department of Nursing and Patient Education (OH-057/02-01-13) is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Ohio Nurses Association, (OBN 001-91), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
For more information on Spike Out Sepsis, email Dr. Jim O’Brien at jobrien@sepsisalliance.org.
Sepsis Alliance (SepsisAlliance.org) is a registered non-profit charity.
