The Intl. WeLoveU Foundation hosted a ping pong fundraiser tournament at Princeton Pong on Sunday, June 26, 2022. The table tennis facility in Princeton, NJ, facilitated 32 players competing for first place in support of the non-profit organization. In addition to the tournament, the family-friendly event featured information booths and activities about WeLoveU’s education, environment, and health programs, games, food trucks, face painting, and raffles. The food trucks included Te Amo Empanada, Smoke ‘N Roll BBQ, and Southern Style Seafood.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., ping pong balls were bouncing back and forth off the blue tables with each paddle swing. The players played in a group stage, with the top two players of a group of four moving on to the single-elimination bracket. For reference, the tournament was according to the International Table Tennis Federation handbook.
Throughout the game, players waiting for their turns shared their thoughts about the event. “I don’t know the first thing about ping pong,” said Bert Baron, This could’ve been horseshoes, this could’ve been polo, this could’ve been anything. It was a chance to help out the International WeLoveU Foundation and anytime I get an opportunity to help out such a great group of people, I’m there. ” Other players said supporting nonprofits like the WeLoveU Foundation at events like the ping pong tournament is very important.
And the Winner Is…
The semifinal matches commenced around 3 p.m., and the two winners proceeding to the final game were Joel Roodyn and Iuliana Radu. Spectators gathered around the main table to watch the last game with great anticipation. At times, the quiet room erupted with loud cheering and clapping. Each player demonstrated great passion and craft for the table tennis sport. In the end, Joel Roodyn won first place. Iuliana Radu and Chris Lehman won second and third place, respectively.
Mr. Roodyn, who is from Calderwood Capital, said, “I used to play as a kid; I don’t play too much anymore. There were two or three very good players and so I really had to pull it out. Particularly in the final in the first game, I lost. I had to come back to win and that’s the fun of the sport. The adrenaline was rushing through me and here I am.” He also shared his thoughts about the WeLoveU Foundation.
“I looked at the website and I had a little feel for it but most importantly, seeing all the people, absolutely everyone in the organization showed just so much warmth and kindness to me and I saw it amongst everyone. I know that you guys are a really special organization. I learned a lot about the three pillars: health, the environment, and education. The stuff that you’re doing is fantastic. Congratulations to all of you! I’m thrilled to be part of it and I’ll spread the good word.”
Iuliana from AoPS Academy Princeton said, “This was a very different atmosphere for me from participating in a regular tournament because I’m not used to having a crowd of people cheering for me. That was quite unexpected. It was an out-of-this-world experience.” And she shared the benefits of playing table tennis. “Ping pong is often described as playing chess while jogging, which means you get moderate level exercise or even more intense depending on how good you are and how much you’re moving, but at the same time, there’s a lot of brain activity going on. “
Upcoming Projects
The Foundation’s goal was to raise $100,000 and fulfilled more than 70% of the goal. All proceeds from the event will support WeLoveU’s mission and initiatives. Notable campaigns include: the Clean and Green Project, transforming a vacant lot into a green space in Philadelphia; the Packs on Backs and Tools for Schools project, providing students with necessary school supplies; the Clean WORLD Movement, planting 100,000 trees by 2030.
Thank You, Sponsors!
Event sponsors include Princeton Pong, Melkonian Capital Management, SFI HVAC Solutions, 13D Research & Strategy, Modfemina, Calderwood Capital, AoPS Academy Princeton, TOVA Community Health, Harmony Health & Wellness, Soccer Shots, Stumpy’s Hatchet House, the Table Tennis Store, Whole Foods, Starbucks, GorJess Hair Salon, Princeton Theatre, Kilwins, Casa Aziz Salon, the New York Knicks, Robert Castillo Photos, Barnes & Noble, Frito-Lay, Stop & Shop, Target, Witherspoon Grill Restaurant, Ihop, Longhorn Steakhouse, Chili’s, Price Chopper, Adam’s Fairacre Farms, Lowe’s, BJ’s, Dunkin Donuts, On the Border, and Buffalo Wild Wings.
16 thoughts on “The Intl. WeLoveU Foundation Hosts the Ping Pong Fundraiser Tournament”
Just the kind of event that we need post-Corona era. I needed motivation to get fit other than a gym membership. Thank you WeLoveU for organizing a positive, creative, health-conscious and fun event.
This was an incredible event held by the WeLoveU Foundation. I am so happy I got the opportunity to attend. The competition was fierce lol. Who knew that playing Ping Pong could be so much fun and make an impact at the same time. WeLoveU continues to out do themselves. Great job!
Never imagined that I would have this much fun at a Ping Pong tournament! Fantastic event hosted by a stellar organization! Glad that I was able to attend and make a donation in support of the WLU Foundation’s initiative.
Great to see all the existing and new supporters of WeLoveU come out and participate in this fundraiser. Fun, informative and impactful! 70% goal fulfilled!! I am excited for the growth of each initiatives and the future projects of WeLoveU!
This event was amazing! The players created a thrilling tournament with twist and turns giving excitement to the crowd so many cheers filled the room! The passion of the volunteers is something to admire! There were countless fun and educational activities. I can not wait until the next event! We🫶🏽U!!
I had such an awesome time volunteering for this event with my friends! I was even able to grab some food from the bbq food truck 😀 Everyone was super friendly, helpful and really organized. I 100% can’t wait to help out with more volunteer opportunities in the future!
I had no idea that a ping pong tournament could be so exciting!!! I’ll definitely be following for more events. Hope to see more soon!!! 🤗
What a great way to get the community out and help fun raise for a great cause! With summer here, I know many people are looking for ways to have fun! Fun and helping make a difference that’s the best! WeLoveU always makes great efforts and are so creative! Wish I was there I know it was a blast!
I enjoyed looking at the pictures and would like to say congratulations to the winners 🏆 Even if you didn’t win but made it into the tournament, you must still be really good.
Wow! This looks like it was so much fun!
I always enjoy participating in WeLoveU events and I definitely missed out on this one!
I’m so happy and excited to see more and more is possible to be accomplished even through this fun tournament!
I really enjoyed attending this event! All the players were so good and the funds went to a great cause. I can’t wait for the next WLU event!
This is a remarkable turnout. Not only was everyone able to enjoy themselves, but to support wonderful works! Hope for more future events such as this!
Looks like this was a great way to spend a Sunday. Congrats to the winners! These types of events really put the FUN in fundraising.
As a participant of the event, not only did I have a lot of fun, I was able to meet and connect with a lot of good people. The organization seems to either attract the best kind of people or bring the best out of people; most likely both. The sportsmanship, consideration and kindness was truly unmatched. Congrats and well done to all involved. Looking forward to the next event!
Thank you so much for the invite! My family and friends had a great time playing and supporting such a influential and genuine organization. We are all looking forward to your next tournament and any other opportunity to support the great work that you all do. We❤️U!
This was such a fun event to be a part of. I never knew the game of ping pong was so intense!! It was fun seeing the skill of the players. The activities were a lot of fun and the food trucks were delicious!! Happy to raise funds for a good cause and excited to see how the funds will continue to impact the lives of so many.