Mental health basketball event unites campus communities

by Sumaia Wegner STAFF WRITER

The first annual Noah Hytken Memorial Basketball Tournament will take place on April 18.

Photo courtesy of Freepik

Viejas Arena will host the first annual Noah Hytken Memorial Basketball Tournament on Monday, April 18.

Last semester, seniors Ofek Suchard, Chris Abbott, junior Philip Bury and sophomore Samantha Ruderman started the Noah Hytken Memorial Fund to honor and cherish the legacy of their late friend Noah Hytken who passed away on October 14, 2020.

Hytken was a student at San Diego State studying Business Finance and Political Science. He was an active member of SDSU as he was a part of the club lacrosse team, a brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, TAMID, and a leader in the San Diego Jewish community.

The NHMF was created to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention and to give back to the community that Hytken so dearly loved. This organization has provided SDSU students with resources and handouts on where they can get help if they need it. They have held seminars as well as yoga sessions to help reduce stress and anxiety before finals. Since then, they have grown to a group of 22 directors alongside an executive board.

A two-day basketball tournament will take place on April 17 in Sol City and April 18 at SDSU’s Viejas Arena. The tournament will include 16 teams composed of various fraternities, clubs, and other organizations on campus, as well as SDSU alumni.

The goal of the tournament is to bring the SDSU community together in support of mental health awareness and in memory of Noah. There will be tabling from different mental health organizations at this tournament, as well as raffling baskets.

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