Every year, approximately 15,000 children under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer. A group of Greene County high school students are doing their part in the fight against this deadly disease with the third annual #COLBYSTRONG Tuff Puff Tournament. This male volleyball tournament is open to Greene County students in grades 9-12 and tips off on Saturday, March 8th, at the Jefferson-Morgan Middle/High School Gymnasium.
“The Tuff Puff means a lot to me because it truly shows the power and support of a small town,” said Jefferson Morgan Leadership Student Isabelle Bazzoli. “Watching everyone come together to help is an amazing thing.”
Over the past two years, the tournament has brought local county schools together to raise over $14,000 for the Colby Stars Foundation. It is a non-profit organization formed in 2010, and named after the late Colby Simkovic, who lost his battle to a rare brain tumor. Because of all the help he and his family received during his stay at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, he and his family vowed to “Pay it Forward” leading to the formation of the Foundation. The mission is to help others, specifically children who are fighting this horrible disease and other catastrophic health issues.
The #COLBYSTRONG Tuff Puff Tournament was organized by two Jefferson-Morgan Leadership students Isabelle Bazzoli and Alisa Long who were looking to help their community as a whole. They got together with their teacher, Mrs. Jodi Fulks, and fellow leaders at Carmichaels High School and the first game was born in 2023. The Rockets and Mighty Mikes each formed a team of male players, and the event helped raise over $7,000 for the Colby Stars Foundation. In year two, they got even more schools to join the fun, and once again raised $7,000 for the foundation.
As they head into year three of the event, the girls are setting the bar even higher, with a new goal of raising over $10,000 for the Colby Stars Foundation. All five schools in the county were invited to participate as the team looks to grow the event in its third year. Along with the volleyball on the court, there will also be door prizes available to those in attendance with the admission price of $5 for all games.
Along with the money raised from admission to the game, the team is also looking for sponsors for this year’s event. There are different levels of sponsorship available for interested businesses, with each level receiving a certain amount of advertising. Just like admission to the game, all sponsorship donation amounts will go directly to the Colby Stars Foundation.
“We have such an amazing community, and I love how everyone tries to help in any way they can for the different events that our RLL Class organized,” said Jefferson Morgan RLL Teacher Jodi Fulks. “We could not do any of the events we do without the support of our sponsors. Whether they are individuals, families, businesses, or organizations it really helps make these events a success. If anyone is interested in being a sponsor, they can contact me at jfulks@jmsd.org.”
The 2025 #COLBYSTRONG Tuff Puff Tournament will be held on Saturday, March 8, at the Jefferson-Morgan Middle/High School gymnasium. Join them for a day of volleyball and fun, while raising money to help children battling cancer.
