MANCHESTER – Members of New Hampshire Roller Derby (NHRD) are revving up for their 2014 season and ready to roll in style with their annual Season Opener Party later this month.
The fundraiser is scheduled from 9 p.m. to close Saturday, March 22 at a new location this year – The Derryfield Restaurant in Manchester. The event will feature DJ Sean O’Brien spinning tunes all night on the dance floor. Other highlights include raffles, merchandise, derby beer bucket specials with beer and shot proceeds going to the local roller derby league.
The league’s A-level travel team, the Skate Free or Die All-Stars, put New Hampshire on the roller derby map during the 2013 season, jumping roughly 46 spots to No. 35 in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) international rankings.
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The team also performed well at the WFTDA Division 1 tournament, leaving ranked in eighth place, ahead of their initial ninth place seeding. This tourney was held in Richmond, Va., in September. Since then, NHRD’s top travel team has been invited to skate in tournaments all across in the country and even as far away as Germany, with other leagues wanting to bout NHRD’s B-team, the Queen City Cherry Bombs. Both teams need to raise funds to support their competitive travel seasons.
The Season Opener party will allow fans to meet and greet members of NHRD on skates. The night promises to be one full of derby fun fans and the public won’t want to miss. The Derryfield is located at 625 Mammoth Road in Manchester.
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If you can’t make the season opener party, the league is also raising money for a new PA system on GoFund Me. The league wants its fans to clearly hear announcers Helen Carnate and Adam Furious, of ROCK 101, at its five home bouts during the 2014 season. A goal of $4,000 has been set. Visit www.gofundme.com/69fhgo to donate. All donations to NHRD are tax-deductible, as the league is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which promotes women's athleticism while giving back to the local community.
If monetary donations aren’t your thing, consider giving the gift of life. NHRD teams up with the American Red Cross annually to help sponsor the blood drives put on by the fellow nonprofit. The first drive is the same day as the season opener party, Saturday, March 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the American Red Cross Donation Center, 425 Reservoir Ave., Manchester.
Also mark your calendars for NHRD’s home season. The first home bout is April 12 and features a double header. The first bout will have two of NHRD’s home teams square off against each other, with the Granite Skate Troopers taking on the defending Kennedy Cup champions, the Nightmares on Elm Street. Then the Cherry Bombs will take on Maine Roller Derby’s Calamity Janes in an exciting travel team match up. Doors open at 4 p.m. with the first whistle at 5 p.m. at Manchester’s JFK Coliseum, 303 Beech St. Season tickets are available at www.nhrollerderby.com.
And finally, if you’d like to get in on the action directly, NHRD is always looking to add members to its growing family. For more information on becoming a skater, referee, non-skating official or to join our rec league, the Millyard Misfits, visit www.nhrollerderby.com or email info@nhrollerderby.com.
