MANILA, Philippines — Over Php8 million has been distributed by pizza chain Shakey's to the participants of the Shakey's Super League Collegiate Preseason Championship.
Having wrapped up the competition last month, all 18 universities and colleges that saw action in the tourney received various amounts depending on the funds raised through the Shakey's Pizza SSL Bundle promo.
The checks were distributed on Wednesday at Shakey's Magallanes during the SSL Thanksgiving Party, with the ceremony held by Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. president and chief executive officer Vicente Gregorio and Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc. president Ian Laurel.
"We hope that those amounts will help the school programs and make their teams even stronger," said Gregorio.
During the tournament, each SSL Bundle promo ordered saw Php100 donated to the customer's school of choice. The initiative was part of SPAVI-ACES partnership’s commitment to supporting and developing women’s volleyball at the grassroots level.
The SSL featured all 10 schools from the NCAA, and all eight members of the UAAP — with a total of 18 institutions sharing the funds.
The NU Lady Bulldogs ruled the competition as they bested the DLSU Lady Spikers in the final last November 19.
But it was third placer Adamson University who got the lion's share of donation with Php 946,000 to their name followed by University of the Philippines with Php719,200.
Ateneo de Manila University (Php685,200), Jose Rizal University (Php642,600), Arellano University (Php615,600), Far Eastern University (Php611,600), De La Salle University (Php575,000) and NU (Php516,500) followed suit.
Lyceum of the Philippines University got Php400,000, while Mapua University received Php328,300. They were followed by University of Santo Tomas (Php324,000), Emilio Aguinaldo College (Php309,900), University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (Php294,200), San Beda University (Php273,500), University of the East (Php267,200), San Sebastian College (Php252,800), College of St. Benilde (Php247,900) and Letran (Php205,200).
Apart from the funds raised, ACES chief Philip Ella Juico said he was elated for the success of the SSL and the development of women's volleyball in the country.
"This team effort has resulted in a resounding success and marks not the end of a season but the beginning of a real, well thought out and strategic grassroots volleyball stakeholder-initiated program," he said. "We call therefore on all sectors to be part of this team because it is the right thing to do. It’s pure work for the country. It’s part of doing good."
"In fact, doing good in an organized and professional manner for volleyball and its stakeholders is concretized by the check donations of Shakey’s to all 18 colleges and universities," Juico added.
Up next for the SSL is a national invitational set for July next year, which will feature 12 of the best teams in NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in a week-long collegiate tournament in Manila.
Another competition is also scheduled from January to February next year.