While planes and sparks flew overhead in Louisville, kick balls launched into lower orbit and bodies slipped and slid down the third and home baseline for the first annual Splash Ball tournament at UK on Saturday.

The Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and Chi Omega sorority worked together to organize Splash Ball 2010, a philanthropy event that mixes the rules of kick ball with a Slip ‘N Slide between third and home base.

The idea behind Splash Ball originated last semester with integrated strategic communications senior Justin Linne, a member of Phi Sigma Kappa and an employee of the Kentucky Kernel.

Linne transferred to UK from South Carolina in the spring of 2008, where a similar event, called the Phi Sigma Kappa Sorority Slam, took place.

Usually there were seven teams that participated in the Sorority Slam, Linne said, but there was not a Slip ‘N Slide incorporated into the game and participation was only open to sororities.

Splash Ball is open to any co-ed team wanting to participate.

“Having been on two campuses, I’ve seen that the more creative and interactive the philanthropy, the more successful the philanthropy will be.” Linne said. “That’s why Splash Ball will be so fun, even to watch.”

Two teams were present for the UK game. The Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity joined forces to take on the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Sigma Nu fraternity.

Alpha Omicron Pi and Lambda Chi came out as the first Splash Ball tournament champions.

“Ideally we wanted more teams to participate,” said architecture freshman and Phi Sigma Kappa member Philip Marchetti. “But people recognized that it was the first year and weren’t sure about it.”

Part of the reason for the low participation was due to cool weather and Thunder Over Louisville occurring the same day, Marchetti said, but it was also low because the Inter-Greek Programming Assembly did not sponsor the event.

“Everyone had a really good time,” Linne said. “I think the teams who didn’t show up will regret it when they hear how much fun it was.”

Splash Ball raised $350 for Phi Sigma Kappa’s philanthropy, Special Olympics of Kentucky.