RollerCon

In 2012 we collected $5351 for the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada Drop In Centers!

Grand Prize winner: Michelle Williamson won a trip to RollerCon Down Under, including airfare & accommodations from Crazy Skates!

David Ripp (Crazy Skates), Hot Wheels (Crazy Skates), WINNER Michelle Williamson, Ivanna S. Pankin (RollerCon) and announcer Showtime!

GRAND PRIZES:

• WIN a FREE TRIP to ROLLERCON DOWN UNDER in Australia courtesy of CRAZY SKATES!

• Score matching DERBY SKINZ bottoms for your WHOLE TEAM!

We also have masses of other killer stuff  that will be raffled off daily from all our sponsors.  You could win magazine subscriptions to Blood & Thunder and fiveonfive, a Bruised Skate Noose, Derby Famous custom armbands, a 6-month membership to the Roller Derby Shirt Club, Triple 8 Helmets, a Wicked Skatewear Prize pack, Derby Vixen toeguards and LOTS LOTS MORE!  And the best thing about it is you’re supporting an amazing cause.

 

Girl Scouts Drop In Centers:
(mostly excerpted from an essay one of our managers wrote)
Southern Nevada Girl Scout Council works with over 10,000 girl and adult members from all backgrounds and levels of life. Everyone is welcome to participate, whether they can afford it or not. Three of the programs they run are specifically aimed at helping people who   normally wouldn’t have access to Girl Scouting. These are Girl Scouts Behind Bars, Girl Scouting in Detention Centers, and Girl Scout Drop In Centers.

There are three drop in centers located in low income areas of Las Vegas. Each drop in center is open three hours a day from 3:30pm to 6:30pm and serves a meal to its girls each day. The drop in center located closest to The Riviera currently has over 400 girls between the ages of 5 and 17 registered. At least 60 girls stop by on an average afternoon, 20 of them being between the ages of 13 and 17.

They offer programs in everything from classic Girl Scouts activities to homework help and counseling services. One of their missions is to help the girls see that there is a world outside of the one they see in their daily life. Field trips are a key part of this mission by exposing girls to activities that they may not have experienced through any other means, and we’re working to organize a field trip for the girls to see one of our WFTDA bouts. While you may think of Girl Scouts as camping and cookies, this group recently visited a hands on construction workshop that allowed them to learn how to build and repair different things. The field trips are aimed at teaching them skills that instill self confidence and encourage self reliance.  We think a visit to see top level roller derby fits right in!

For many, Girl Scouts provide a haven from teenage angst, allowing girls a place to learn that it’s okay to be weird or different, and that there’s nothing wrong with pursuing something interesting.  They offer a place to be social even if it is awkward and painful at times. But the girls that come to the drop in centers gain things that are even more essential!  These girls, mostly from low income backgrounds, get exposure to positive and reliably available influences, helping to discourage high school drop outs and teenage pregnancy. They can get at least one healthy meal every day, without needing to explain to anyone why they’re hungry. And maybe most importantly, the Drop In centers off safe place to hang out in between the time that school ends and parents return home from work, with no daycare costs for younger children. And occasionally, when funds are available – and this is where our raffle money comes in – they get the chance to peek into realities outside of their life experiences so far. Cost of transportation by bus is one of their biggest expenses as few have access to cars. With the support of our raffle, we can help provide transportation for field trips that can impact the lives of hundreds of girls in Las Vegas, during a stage in their lives that is integral to their healthy development.

Have we convinced you? Donate now to support the girl scouts!  Girl Scouts say,  given the opportunity, every girl can become a leader with the courage to act on her values, develop the ability to make clear decisions, and acquire the self-confidence to make a difference in the world around her. Roller derby is dedicated to many of the same principles! Help them make it happen.