Heart of Appalachia Roller Derby, LLC, the Kanawha Valley’s newest women’s flat-track roller derby team, is celebrating Christmas by giving to others. Begun in March, 2011, the team is participating in West Virginia’s first Drop in and Decorate event, and is Drop in and Decorate, Inc.’s first roller derby donors!
The concept behind Drop in and Decorate, Inc.--founded by food blogger Lydia Walshin--is simple: bake some cookies, invite friends or family (or neighbors, or co-workers) to stop in and help decorate, then donate your cookies to a local food pantry, emergency shelter, senior center, lunch program, or other community agency meeting the needs of food or shelter. Jericho House, which provides short-term housing solutions to families in crisis, is the recipient of the Heart of Appalachia Roller Derby cookies, likely to be decorated in purple and green, the team’s colors.
Drop In and Decorate is Heart of Appalachia Roller Derby’s latest beneficiary of its charitable efforts. In its short existence, Heart of Appalachia Roller Derby has established a reputation for giving back to the community, participating in and/or raising money for such diverse charitable organizations as Mission West Virginia’s Walk With Me (a walk in support of children in foster care); the PUSH to End Alzheimer’s; PATH to the Cure (which provides mammograms to those who can’t afford them); Covenant House Rainbow Run; and Sojourner’s Shelter. Additionally, the team gave 20% of the tickets sold to its inaugural multi-team scrimmage, Clash in the Coalfields, to a local child with cancer to help his family defray medical costs, and concessions at the event benefitted Rev-Up Madison, a municipal revitalization group.
Heart of Appalachia Roller Derby recently took part in Morgantown Roller Vixens’ Jingle Brawl, and travels December 31 to Lewisburg to bout Greenbrier Roller Vixens at the New Fears Eve Crash and Bash in an inaugural bout for both teams. Find more information on tickets at www.greenbrierrollervixens.com.
