The Government of the Student Body passed a bill Wednesday night to help fund a student organization’s charity basketball tournament for the fight against cancer.

The Jimmy V Shootout five-on-five tournament takes place February 15, 19 and 20, and the final game will follow the Cyclone women’s basketball game vs. Kansas on Feb. 21 at Hilton Coliseum.

The student group behind the charity tournament is Teamwork Assures Benefits (TAB), which was formed this semester by four students in the Birch-Welch-Roberts residence halls.

Aside from GSB, a $6 entry fee paid by each player will help fund the tournament.

Extra funding will go to the V Foundation, a “charitable organization dedicated to saving lives by helping to find a cure for cancer,” according to the foundation’s mission statement.

“TAB is part of the V Foundation, but it is also a student organization on campus,” said TAB President Kevin Fick, junior in zoology.

“We didn’t think there was an organization at Iowa State that did enough charitable work,” he said.

Because Jimmy Valvano, who the foundation is named after, was a college basketball coach and ESPN sports announcer, TAB decided a basketball tournament would be a perfect way to help out the V Foundation, said Jim Keck, treasurer of TAB and a sophomore in biology.

“We hoped the students would recognize the name and be interested in supporting the cause,” he said.

The tournament will kick off when all 64 teams begin the first elimination round on Sunday, Feb. 15.

The following rounds will be played Feb. 19 and 20 to narrow the pool to two teams.

On Feb. 21, following the televised ISU women’s basketball game at Hilton, the championship Jimmy V game will be played.

TAB hopes the chance to play at Hilton will encourage student involvement in the tournament.

“We want everyone to have the chance to get involved,” Fick said.

“We hope some of the off-campus students will get informed and get involved.”

The tournament is open to all students, faculty and staff at ISU. The teams, comprised of five to seven people, can be male or female, or a combination of both.

The first 64 teams that register and pay the entry fee will fill the tournament brackets.

Fick said the registration packets have been offered since Feb. 2, and 32 teams currently are signed up.

TAB will accept entry forms until Feb. 10 at 4 p.m.

Students will receive a T-shirt after paying the entry fee, and drinks will be provided at the games.

Trophies will be awarded to the top four teams.

TAB has guaranteed at least $500 to the V Foundation, but expects to raise $1,500 to $2,000.

Keck said TAB also is considering a charitable concert for the Ronald McDonald Kids.

“We try to raise money while providing fun for the students,” he said. “We put on an activity along with a fund-raiser.”

Fick said TAB’s mission is to help out all types of charities.

“If you want to become a member, just volunteer for charities,” he said.

“A good opportunity would be this basketball tournament, but we’d rather have people play [in the tournament].”

The group estimates that more than 500 people will be involved in the tournament.

“We’re trying to make this a yearly thing. We called it the ‘First Annual Jimmy V Shootout,'” Fick said. “We hope to make it bigger and better every year.”

To garner GSB involvement, TAB explained the idea to RCA Senator Matt Craft, who is a sophomore in political science and pre-law.

Craft then proposed the bill to GSB at the Jan. 28 meeting, and it was passed Wednesday night with a vote of 23 to 1.

“I hope the students will not only support this tournament, but also women’s basketball,” Craft said.

“GSB support for this has been very positive from the start.

Hopefully students will also give support in one form or another.”

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In other news:

• A bill for a new GSB constitution was passed unanimously with a vote of 27 to 0.

• A bill to fund the Agriculture Council Conclave trip was passed with a vote of 16 to 9.

• A bill to fund the National Agri-Marketing Association Club trip was passed unanimously with a vote of 24 to 0.

• A bill to fund Odyssey of the Mind’s trip to the world competition was passed unanimously with a vote of 24 to 0.