I have a soft spot for Alaskan roller derby.  Not long ago, I painted a helmet for a derby girl on the Rage City all-star team out of Anchorage, Alaska.  (Have you seen my post about customizing derby helmets?)  Since I used to play derby (on a  much smaller team) in Alaska, I was super excited to hear that Rage City is raising money to travel to Texas to play in the heart of derby’s rebirth!  And since we currently reside in Central Texas, I’m excited to see that happen.

Roller derby teams are almost always non-profit businesses, which means they have to raise all their money to play, to travel, to rent the practice space, to hold general insurance, and to hold bouts ALL by themselves, by hitting the pavement and asking for help.  They have car washes, bake sales, make their own merch, all in their spare time, just to keep their team alive.  What people get from derby is SO much more valuable.  It’s strength from a quiet, shy girl who never really had a voice.  It’s power from a bigger girl who always felt “in the way.”  It’s determination from a geeky girl who never played a sport.  These ladies work and train HARD, all while living everyday lives, working everyday jobs, being moms, wives, and students.  Even if a team gets beat in a bout, there’s still so much love & respect for each other for actually having the nerve to get out and DO it that it doesn’t matter a whole lot.  They know the work and dedication that goes into it.  And there’s a fun bond in derby because there’s room for everyone–all shapes, all sizes, all ages, all walks of life.

SOOoooo if you’d like to help Rage City make their way to Texas, or support a fun, exciting sport at the same time, please go over to their GoFundMe page and help some sisters out!