by Denise Gary
Photographs © Denise Gary
Heroes VS Villains logo © Desert Dolls Roller Derby
Kids Need to Read had a fantastic time attending the Desert Dolls Roller Derby HEROES VS VILLAINS charity bout. All proceeds from the event, including ticket sales and t-shirt sales, benefited Kids Need to Read, thanks to the generosity of sponsor Samurai Comics. A total of $2,342 was raised to support KNTR’s literacy programs for children and adolescents! And there was an especially thrilling moment for us all – seeing the Kids Need to Read banner hanging ringside for the very first time!
The Villains!
The Heroes!
There was bumping.
There were spills.
This Hero was a rocket!
Shannon “Killface Claudette” Bailey (event organizer) cheered on the hero side!
Faith “Robin Haarmsya” Hochhalter provided live Facebook updates during the event.
Thomas Healy of Samurai Comics was on hand to emcee halftime activities, including a Quick Draw activity for kids.
Jeff Pina was the Quick Draw artist on the Hero side.
Ben Glendenning was the Quick Draw artist on the Villain side.
The Quick Draw “sketch-off” was lots of fun for the kids, as was an amazing yo-yo demonstration conducted by Julius and other folks from All Yo-Yo.
Kids Need to Read handed out Highlights, Highlights High Five, Cricket, and Cicada magazines to kids attending the event.
Of course, watching the Heroes and Villains battle it out for supremacy on wheels was extremely entertaining!
Thank you so much to Shannon “Killface Claudette” Bailey and Christina “Blocka” Gerrish for planning the event, as well as Samurai Comics for sponsoring, Lorie “Honey Badger” Park and artist Rory Hensley for creating the t-shirts and donating the proceeds to KNTR, Stage 3 Printing in Tempe, Ben Glendenning, Jeff Pina, All Yo-Yo, Highlights for Children, Carus Publishing, and of course, everyone at Desert Dolls Roller Derby!
Photo Gallery: Desert Dolls Roller Derby Charity Bout
