Hearts were pounding on the court and in the stands as students and teachers competed in the Heart Heroes Volleyball Tournament at St. Thomas Aquinas High School on Wednesday, February 1. It is the fifteenth year that STA has held an event for the American Heart Association, during which time the school community has raised over $50,000 for heart disease research.
The STA Heart Heroes Volleyball Tournament featured faculty teams competing against student teams. Everyone played to win, and the gym was bursting with excitement as students, parents, and faculty cheered for their favorite teams.
And in tribute to this event’s forerunner, Hoops for Heart, students and faculty members were invited to take a half-court shot. Dozens of students donated in exchange for the opportunity, yet only one of them made the long shot: Seth Triumph McGhee ‘24.
More important than the hoops and aces were, of course, the contributions that STA was able to make to the American Heart Association. The event raised nearly $1,000 to support research and treatment to combat heart disease.
Behind the scenes of the successful event was a dedicated team of students, chaired by Natalie Neno ’24, Caroline Devlin ’24, Sophia Llaguno ’24, Olivia Alicante ’24, and Nick Basilico ’24, along with the guidance of Fr. Mike Tabernero and Mr. Mike Lewon.
The Heart Heroes Volleyball Tournament was an invigorating event and important fundraiser for such an important cause. The committee members who planned the event would like to thank the faculty, staff, parents, and students who played and worked at the event as well as all those who donated to and attended the fundraiser.