This semester, the ISU Racquetball Club, nicknamed The Ballbusters, will be doing some repairs.

This weekend, the club will host the “Cyclone Racquet for the Cure” charity racquetball tournament, with half of the proceeds from the event going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Since fall 2002, when club president Casey Wright, senior in management information systems, lost an aunt to breast cancer, funding cancer research has been on his mind. In addition to losing another aunt to the disease the following year, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer this past August.

He was warned that hosting a charity event would be time-consuming, but he had already made up his mind to combine his love for his mother and his favorite pastime.

“My mom tried to tell me it was going to be hard,” Wright said, “but every bit counts.”

Breast cancer has also impacted club member Courtney Keeney, freshman in psychology.

Although her grandmother has beaten the disease, she has had four aunts die of breast cancer.

“My chances I think are higher because of it being in my family,” she said. “It affects more families than it doesn’t.”

In addition to bringing awareness to cancer research, the club hopes to promote the sport of racquetball at Iowa State.

“People are always worried that they have to be good to play with us,” Wright said. “We have two guys who have played six times combined.”

In March, the club represented Iowa State in the 2006 Intercollegiate Nationals tournament in Tempe, Ariz, placing 11th out of 48 participating colleges.

Club adviser Gary Hackbarth, assistant professor in logistics operations and management information systems, is excited for the future of this three-year-old club.

“The guys that can play better take the time to show the new guys how to play,” Hackbarth said. “I get to come down and play, and I don’t have to do any of the work.”

Club members hope to continue hosting charity tournaments.

“I got a Facebook message saying, ‘I’m not very good but it’s for a good cause,'” Wright said. “It’s a good way to start off the tournament season.”

The tournament will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

All games will take place at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center.