Warm up your throwing arm and practice your juke before joining a team and signing up for the seventh annual BEACON Afterschool Community Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 26.
Teams of adults and youth are competing in the middle school gymnasium to be named the Moab Dodgeball Champions.
The event is a popular way for friends and local organizations to gather and have fun while supporting a valued nonprofit. Children from the BEACON Afterschool Program are helping to facilitate the tournament and participate on teams, and the games are being broadcast live on local radio station KCYN. Spectators are encouraged to come cheer on the players.
“Last year we had 17 teams and we hope to have even more this year,” said BEACON Family Outreach Coordinator Lindsey Bartosh, who is organizing the event this year.
Teams in past tournaments have represented local entities like the Grand County High School, Moab Police Department, Grand County Emergency Medical Services, Outward Bound, City of Moab, Gym on 5th and the Youth Garden Project.
Funds raised through the event will help BEACON (Building Essential Assets through Community Outreach and Networking) provide enriching activities for students at Helen M. Knight Elementary School, Moab Charter School and Grand County Middle School. The program offers a variety of support and after-school classes like art, swimming, robotics, academic tutoring, storytelling, yoga and kung fu.
The Gym on 5th, a workout space that provides coached classes, is registering a team for their second year in the competition. Lauren Larsen is one of the team captains for the Gym on 5th and said the team enjoyed the 2018 tournament.
“I think my favorite part was just … feeling really, really a part of this community and seeing different people from around town come together and have fun and raise money for a local group,” Larsen said. But she also acknowledged that the teams play to win.
“It’s definitely competitive,” she said.
Team What the Duck, champions for the last two years in a row, are registered to defend their title.
Local sponsors for the tournament include Moab Gear Trader and the Moab City Recreation Department, as well as Moab Watersports and Gear Rentals, Aarchway Inn, Moab Chevron, Real Estate Company of Moab, Moab Sun News, Desert Rivers Credit Union and Tech Zen.
Winning teams have the chance to win prizes like SUP board rentals from Moab Watersports and Gear Rentals, pizza parties and more.
If sports aren’t your thing, you can still win the prize for best costumes. Teams create their own uniforms, which can be as simple as matching shirts or something more outrageous and silly.
“Last year, the Moab City team dressed in business wear,” Bartosh said. “They had on slacks and button-up shirts with ties. It was great. The Youth Garden Project always have fun costumes they build.”
There will also be a prize for sportsmanship and prizes won through raffle drawings.
More than the prizes, though, Bartosh said the real joy of the tournament is how it draws in people from different community circles.
“The best part of the BEACON Afterschool Dodgeball Tournament is just spending time with members of the Moab community,” she said. “This tournament pulls together people from different nonprofits, businesses and organizations in the community and it is just a fun mix of people.”
Community gets set for creative tournament
Where: Grand County Middle School, 439 S. 100 East
When: Saturday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cost: $60 per team to play; $3 for adults and $1 for children for spectators
Information: Call Lindsey Bartosh at 435-719-4717 or email bartoshl@grandschools.org
“The best part of the BEACON Afterschool Dodgeball Tournament is just spending time with members of the Moab community. This tournament pulls together people from different nonprofits, businesses and organizations in the community and it is just a fun mix of people.”
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