Harvard to get down and dirty

On Saturday, August 18, the 2012 Udder-Mudder Volleyball Tournament will take place at Milky Way Park. The Harvard City Events Committee planned the event in collaboration with the Epilepsy Foundation. Mark Lancaster, a member of the City Events Committee, helped plan and organize the mud-volleyball event. “This is the first year we’re doing mud-volleyball in Harvard,” he stated. Lancaster had an idea about the event last year, and started to plan the event and put things together late last fall.

Flyers and posters have been posted throughout northern Illinois and Wisconsin to promote the event. “I put flyers in areas with sand volleyball leagues.” Lancaster is hoping to have upwards of 60 people participating in the tournament. On August 18 there will be six mud-volleyball courts prepared for players; ten teams of five people (with alternates) will be playing. The cost is $100 per team, and participants must be at least 21-years-old. Part of the proceeds will be going to the Epilepsy Foundation, and part will also go towards sponsoring future city events, such as Christmas in Harvard in early December.

“It was simple getting sponsorships for the event,” said Lancaster. Harvard Ford is the sole sponsor of the Udder-Mudder Tournament this year. “Sean [Sivore] at Harvard Ford will be there.” If all goes well with the tournament this year, the City Events Committee and Harvard Ford are planning on making it an annual event.

Lancaster hopes that the tournament will be a fun family event for the community. When asked why the City Events Committee decided to plan the mud-volleyball tournament, Lancaster replied, “Just like any other event, to bring people together and do something for the community. Competitions like mud-volleyball bring people together, and you can meet new people and mingle between games.” He also stated that events like this provide the committee with proceeds for future city events so that they can provide affordable community entertainment.

The Harvard Udder-Mudder Volleyball Tournament is an offshoot of the Epilepsy Foundation’s annual mud-volleyball tournament and will be one of two mud-volleyball tournaments in the area supporting the Epilepsy Foundation of North Central Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. The original Mud Volleyball Tournament for Epilepsy will be taking place on Saturday, August 4, at Kelly Meyers Park in Roscoe, IL.

Registration forms for the 2012 Udder-Mudder Tournament can be picked up at Harvard City Hall. The registration deadline is Friday, August 10. For information, call 815-943-6468.