Teams that have been practicing the art of “dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge” will face-off in a fierce battle using rubber balls on Saturday, Jan. 11.
It is the second annual Community Dodgeball Tournament, a fundraiser for the Moab Teen Center: Club Red.
Amy Stocks, the director of Club Red, said that dodgeball teams are now working on their moves.
“I think people are taking it more seriously this year,” Stocks said.
The event is “very true to Moab” Stocks said – complete with costumes and music.
Costumes and team names are highly encouraged. In fact, there will be prizes for the best team name and costumes. Other prizes will be awarded for sportsmanship and the overall winner.
“It is a blast to see. It brings out the competiveness in everyone, in a childhood remembrance game,” Stocks said.
Last year twenty teams competed at the inaugural competition.
John Geiger, director of Moab City Recreation, was pleased with last year’s event.
“It was great. We had 20 teams, great costumes, awesome atmosphere. We raised over $600 for the Teen Center and had a blast doing it,” Geiger said immediately after the competition. “Everybody was rooting each other on. We had some powerful throwers here today.”
Last year the Moab Rec’ing Balls beat Zax for the overall tournament title.
The Moab City Rec’ing Balls’ team was hastily assembled at the last minute by Geiger. The team members were Zak Hazlett, Marcus Ko, Nathan Turner, Jaydan Olsen, Macrae Olsen and David Olsen.
Stocks said that while there are teams of all ages, there will be several teams made up of teenagers this year.
“Come and support them,” she said.
The entry fee for teams is $80, for a team of six to ten people. Non-profits and teams made up of teenagers have a lower entry fee. Spectators pay $3 to watch.
The money from the fundraiser will go toward the teen center.
Club Red has been made available through the Moab City Recreation Department since 2005. It served as a safe place for teenagers to “drop-in” afterschool in the basement of the Center Street Gym. However, due to budget cuts in the last year, it is now focusing on special events and clubs. Club Red now has a teen advisory board to determine the best ways to serve Moab’s youth.
“We’re opening our doors to work with with the multicultural center and working with other teen-focused non-profits,” Stocks said. “We’re focusing on running anti-bullying groups and assessing what the needs are for the youth.”
The Community Dodgeball Tournament is one of several fundraisers Club Red will host throughout the year. The next one is the Chocolate Lover’s Fling to be held Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center.
“We’re partering with BEACON,” Stocks said, referring to the afterschool program for Helen M. Knight, the Moab Charter School and the Grand County Middle School.
This year’s theme is Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
“This should span the ages through the different movies, from the classic version to the new Johnny Depp version,” Stocks said.
She encourages the public to come and support both fundraisers and teens.
“Come out and have a ball,” she said.
Second annual Community Dodgeball Tournament this Saturday
“Don’t be afraid of a fun, competitive winter game.”
When: 2 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 11
Where: Center Street Gym, 217 E. Center St.
Cost: $3 for spectators; $80 per team (8 to 10 players), discounts for non-profit or teen teams
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