ILWR presents Big Check to Big Brothers Big Sisters!

Written by Rachel Stern
Originally Published in the Ithaca Journal 9/6/11

Members of the Ithaca League of Women Rollers will share some of their moves as part of a fundraiser.

On Saturday, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ithaca will hold their fourth annual Roll for Kids’ Sake fundraising event from 10 a.m. to noon at Cass Park Skating Rink. Admission is $5, including skates.

Members of the Ithaca League of Women Rollers’ SufferJets and BlueStockings teams will skate alongside other event participants.

That same night, the BlueStockings will face off against the Royal Pains at 7:30 p.m. and 10 percent of the proceeds from the game will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters, said Kitty Gifford, a member of the SufferJets and one of the founders of the league.

“We generally are selective with which organizations we work with,” she said. “We get a lot of requests from great organizations and we try and stick with ones that work with youth, sports, issues of interest to women, or community-minded stuff. So Big Brothers Big Sisters is perfect.”

This is the third year the Women Rollers’ have partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, she added. The organization establishes and nurtures friendships between adults and children in need of such friendship, according to its website.

Last year Big Brothers Big Sisters raised about $2,500 from the fundraiser, including money donated by the Ithaca League of Women Rollers, said Molly Bargar, client relations specialist. About 100 people participated in the open skate and she hopes that even more come this year.

“We would love to surpass those numbers,” she said.

The money raised is used for special opportunities for matches at Big Brothers Big Sisters, she said. One year, the organization bought gift certificates to the Ithaca Farmers Market for members of the organization to use with their match.

“We like to be able to give our matches special things to do outside of the program,” she said. “We are not sure what exactly we will do this year, but it is always great to provide special opportunities for them.”

Grab your bicycle, tricycle, scooter, skates or stroller and join up with The Ithaca League of Women Rollers and Foodnet Meals on Wheels for their 3rd annual Wheel-a-Thon: 5-7pm on Saturday, June 11th at scenic Cass Park! 

Don’t be fooled by the name, this event is a leisurely ride along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail on the wheels of your choice, followed by a tailgate party spiced up by the foot-tapping live music of Jorge T. Cuevas and the Caribe Jazz Allstars.   The wheels don’t stop turning just yet—stay on for more roller derby action as the Ithaca SufferJets bout Pittsburgh’s Blitzburgh Bombers starting at 7pm.   

Got any burning derby questions that need answering?  Meet ‘n greet with Ithaca’s newest derby team, the BlueStockings who will be serving up a delicious chicken BBQ at the Meals On Wheels tailgate party.  Cost for the Tailgate BBQ is $10 and proceeds benefit Foodnet Meals on Wheels whose nationwide programs provide well over one million meals to seniors who need them each day. 
Saturday, June 11th at Cass Park Rink—701 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, N.Y.

Roller Derby doors at 7pm, Whistle at 7:30
Tickets $8 PRESALE at BrownpaperTickets.com 

$10 AT THE DOOR
 $5 Children 12 and under
Afterparty with us at Delilah’s on Cayuga Lounge—112 S. Cayuga St. in downtown Ithaca, N.Y.  Bring your dancing shoes.

It’s a sport that’s gaining momentum worldwide and now there’s a new group looking to get in on the roller derby action. Our Tamara Lindstrom has more on the latest skaters to roll in. Read the full story and watch the video…

Want to know what’s behind all this derby hype? Head on down to Cass Park Rink this month to be part of the fastest growing women’s sport on the planet! Pre-game entertainment including Cornell’s own a cappela group “The Class Notes”, Guest Anthem Singer: Bobby Narco, jeerleaders, Spencer/Van Etten pep band, DJs, derby merchandise, and your favorite local skaters.

Saturday, May 21st at Cass Park Rink—701 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, N.Y.

Doors at 6pm, whistle at 6:30.

ADMISSION AT THE DOOR- $10 suggested donation, $5 children 12 and under

Come by The Westy at 516 West MLK/State Street in downtown Ithaca to celebrate derby-style after the bout.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the 4-H Outreach Program out of Cornell Cooperative Extension, dedicated to empowering youth and adults by creating opportunities that build academic and life skills through experiential learning.

On Saturday, April 23, sports and spectacle tangled up like skaters in a roller derby pile-up, as the SufferJets rolled out their 2011 season with a bout against the Montreal Sexpos. Read More

Bring the whole family for a night of fast-paced action, music provided by DJs Bob and Luke, the talents of our jeerleader squad and Zumba lessons at halftime.

Saturday, April 23- at the JM McDonald Sports Complex, 4292 Fairgrounds Dr, Cortland, NY 13045

Doors at 6pm, whistle at 6:30

ADMISSION AT THE DOOR- $10 general admission, $5 children 12 and under
Tickets can also be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets or at the Ticket Center on The Commons.

Come buy your favorite skaters, referees and volunteers a drink at the after-Bout party:
Chanti – Loft. Upstairs from the Chanticleer.
101 West State Street – Ithaca, NY

DJs Luke & Bob will make you dance.
.

A portion of the proceeds will go to Wonderful Wheelchairs, dedicated to refurbishing used wheelchairs for those in need.

JM McDonald Sports Complex
4292 Fairgrounds Drive
Cortland, NY

Tickets for adults are $10.00, available at the door, and admission for kids under 12 years old is FREE!

On April 16, ILWR’s BlueStockings start their 2011 roller derby season in the season opener bout of Crown City Rollerz Royal Pains of Cortland. Come out to support our women in Blue!

More info:

There will be stadium (bleacher) and rink side seating (bring your own seats)!

Cortland Beer Company’s locally crafted beer will be available during the bout in the rinkside “lounge” area. GRAIN ELEVATOR plays at half time. DJ Dale will be spinning tunes during the bout!!!

PURPLE REIGN -
A portion of the bout proceeds will benefit American Cancer Society Relay for Life for Cortland County! Wear your purple in honor of both the Royal Pains and also Relay for Life, for their upcoming Paint the Town Purple Events April 26 – May 1.

Wear your purple Relay for Life Survivor shirt for a $5 admission discount at the door!

After-Bout party being held and sponsored by BRIX Pubaria located at 60 Main Street, Cortland, NY. Don’t miss the after bout fun!

What is wReck Derby?

wReck Derby is a chance to learn the basic skills of flat-track roller derby. This is a perfect way to learn the game if you are considering trying out for our league next year, or just for some great exercise. We’ll cover the basics and skip the bone-crushing hits! You learn the game with some modified blocking rules. Come skate, and meet some amazing women!!

Please see the details below and register here>>

If you would like to borrow skates and/or gear please make sure to provide that info on the registration form.

Dates: Every Wednesday – starting March 9

Time: 7-830 PM for practice – please arrive by 6:45pm to gear up.

Location: East Ithaca, near Airport.

Fee: $5 per session + $3 rental gear

Insurance: $55 – If you plan to skate more than one time with us this is required. WFTDA Insurance provides Accidental Medical Coverage for $25k maximum, $1k deductible with primary insurance, $3k deductible if uninsured.

Submit your fees by PayPal here:

Practice Fees

Single Practice $5.00 Gear Rental $3.00 Monthly Practice FEE $20.00 WFTDA Insurance $55.00 Misc $1.00

Who can join?: Women 18 and up!

Your trainers will be members of the Ithaca League of Women Rollers.

Please bring:

*QUAD ROLLER SKATES
*HELMET
*WRIST GUARDS
*ELBOW & KNEE PADS
WATER BOTTLE
MOUTH GUARD

*If you don’t have these items we can rent them to you. We’ll do our best to locate a pair of rental skates for you until you get your own. If we don’t have your size available, or you drop in and we didn’t know you were coming, you can also do your first night on rollerblades, if you already skate.

Knee and Elbow pads, (see below for details on recommended styles), wrist guards, a mouth guard and a skate helmet are required items. You can find starter items at any skateboard, or sports store, but remember to look for good padding! We have very limited spare items of safety gear, but it is first come, first serve, and size is limited. We recommend you buy your gear in advance, or borrow some. Rollerblading pads will work for your first night out, and a bike helmet will suffice too. Don’t be shy, come on out and try it!

1) Skates
Quad roller skates or quad speed skates are required.
Artistic boots or speed boots are your choices. Artistic boots are higher and offer more ankle support if you have weak ankles, but provide less ankle mobility for roller derby skating. It’s a personal choice, and trust us, your starter skates may last a very long time, but will not be your last pair if you like roller derby! Speed boots are the derby skate boot, of course, so it’s your best bet. We will strengthen those ankles in no time! If you do not have skates today, we have limited loaners available, but we will need to know when you plan to attend and what shoe size/skate size you need.

2) Safety equipment
a) Knees
Although we will let you skate with any pads of your choice, we recommend a skateboard/skating knee pad with at least 1 ½ inches of padding. This is so that you can learn to fall safely, and to perform exercises on your skates more comfortably. Recommended brands are Triple 8, 187 and Fatboy for skaters over 150 lbs, and Pro-Tec Street. These pads work for skateboarding and aggressive skating and offer the best protection for you.
b) Elbows
Same as above. Some falls we teach require elbow pads to connect with the floor, and we want you to be protected.
c) Wrists
A wrist guard protects the weak wrist joint from injury when you use your hands to prevent a fall, which is common for beginners when they fall backwards.
d) Mouth guard
You can pick a boil-and-bite mouth guard up at any sports/hockey equipment type store. We recommend you pay the little bit extra for a SHOCK DOCTOR mouth guard, as it comes with insurance. In case you fall and face-plant, you want your smile to stay pretty! Plus, it helps prevent concussions from biting down hard and suddenly during a fall.
e) Helmet
We recommend a skate or skateboard helmet, but any helmet certified for skating or cycling is acceptable for beginners.

For first timers:

Rollerblade starter pads, bike helmets, and low-level mouth guards are accepted for first-timers that are just trying it out.

We have very limited, first-come, first-serve extra pieces of gear, and loaner skates, but we don’t recommend that you depend on it! Please obtain your own safety equipment, even if you are borrowing it, or getting loaner skates from ILWR.

Otherwise, your first night can include some off-skate training and off-skate advice on what to work on until you have skates, and you can observe the practice to see if you are excited by it and want to come back. Please don’t be shy and don’t be scared. We start you off very slow and protected and teach you how to safely skate, stop, and even fall without injury.

Sample Skate Session

15 minutes free skate for warm-up
05 minutes stretch and introduction
30 minutes: Beginner instructions and Advanced Drills to work on new and improve existing skills. May include endurance training, or strength training drills.
30 minutes: Combined skating and practice time, or drills, that will range from pack work, to speed and endurance training, from agility to balance or strength training, derby scenario drills, or games for fun.
05 minutes free skate cool-down
05 minutes stretching
Total: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)

Here’s a quick introduction to the basics of Flat-track Roller Derby:

Get warm and entertained! With 40 different chili recipes, hot wing tasting, delicious cornbread, Chili Idol Karaoke Contest, Guitar Hero competitions, plus lots of live music and live performers throughout the day.

This is a great cause for the Ithaca Community Harvest which connects students, staff and families from Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, Greater Ithaca Activities Center and Southside Community Center with locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.

More info on the Chili Cook-off – Postponed to Sunday, February 20th, 2011 from 11:30 – 4:00 pm Saturday, February 19th, 2011 from 11:30 – 4:00pm.

Support the Tile Drive here>>ILWR Tile Drive

The Ithaca League of Women Rollers have embarked on a 2011 season campaign to cover our loan for a portable floor that will provide a safer skating environment.

This winter ILWR has found a very lightly used floor and have decided to take on a small loan to purchase it. The goal is to raise $15,000 to cover the 10,000 tile-area needed for a regulation roller derby track. Donations $20 or more and your name/business recognized on this website and a sponsor banner listing all donors.

We hope that we can count on our most dedicated fans, family, and friends to meet this goal.

SkateCourt floor tiles are specifically designed for roller skating. The tiles connect very tightly, forming a monolithic slab, which has a cushioning effect during a fall—reducing impact, injuries and pain. The SkateCourt surface has a tiny relief profile, which actually reduces the wheel friction while skating fast, but creates a serious wheel grip during acceleration, such as during cornering.

Donors will be recognized during a tile signing ceremony prior to the first 2011 home bout. At this time all tile donors will be invited to go on the track and “tag” their tile(s). This will be a great way for all of ILWR’s biggest fans to meet together on the track for this momentous event.

Roller Derby in Ithaca is here to stay. The longevity of the league is dependent on us having a safe and portable floor. Help give a floor that gives! Get a piece of the action and support your local derby girls!

For more information on SkateCourt floors visit: http://www.icecourt.com/portable_skating_surface.html

Protecting our ASSets. Yeah.