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April 27, 2006

ULM 31 Ambassadors assist with UNO's inaugural Swampball

Reaching out once again, ULM 31 Ambassadors recently spent Spring Break helping the University of New Orleans Ambassadors conduct their inaugural Swampball Tournament April 22.

"[This] great day would have never happened if it was not for the 31 Ambassadors giving up time on their Spring Break to help us out," said Brandon Rizzuto, UNO Ambassadors president.

"The determination and willingness of the 31ers rubbed off on my UNO Ambassadors. The 31ers' sheer presence at the event boosted our confidence; the magic of them believing and having faith in us eased our minds."

UNO Ambassadors visited ULM a few years ago to film the Oozeball Tournament, an annual mud volleyball tourney for students, faculty and staff held on the ULM campus. The UNO group wanted pointers for conducting a similar event at their own university. Consequently, a strong bond formed between the two student-alumni service organization groups.

Rizzuto recounted the tough experiences that many UNO Ambassadors have had to endure in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, including the loss of family members and property.

"When a tragedy happens, you find out what people are made of," Rizzuto said. "When the 31ers answered our cry for help tenfold, it ensured us that people out there care. What they did won't show up on CNN or on 60 Minutes, but every time Swampball is played on campus, we, the UNO Ambassadors, will always know in our hearts and show in our actions how deeply appreciative we are for the 31ers."

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