Capital City Rollers host first annual Skate-a-Thon fundraiser.
Matt Carter
The Capital City Rollers are gearing up for their first annual Skate-A-Thon, April 11 at the Capital Exhibit Centre in Fredericton. The event will feature recreational and competitive skaters from around the region as one of several fundraising projects planned to assist in sending The Spitfires to compete at the Fall Brawl Roller Derby in Alberta this September.
For this event, the Capital City Rollers are combining forces with Fredericton Junior Roller Derby Association’s junior roller derby league to make the night bigger, better and more fun. Junior skaters will be tearing up the track from 6 – 7 p.m.
According to CCR president Rachel Harvey (aka Madam Hussein), this opportunity for the team to travel to Alberta will help put New Brunswick on the national roller derby map and offer The Spitfires a chance to compete against some of the country’s top teams.
“There’s a bit of a different style of play out West, so this trip is a chance for our team, The Spitfires, to play against some teams that we would never have the opportunity to play against,” said Harvey. “This trip will undoubtedly broaden our skills and help us grow stronger. We’re working on a lot of new techniques and strategies in our training this year, so we’re really excited to start putting it into action on the track.”
Founded in 2010, the Capital City Rollers are the city’s premiere flat-track roller derby association offering training and competitive opportunities for adult skaters from the Greater Fredericton Area.
The Junior Roller Derby Association, who will also be part of this year’s Skate-A-Thon, is a new organization created to help offer opportunities for youth involvement in this rapidly growing sport.
“The derby scene is growing at lightening speed in this area,” said Harvey. “Fredericton Junior Roller Derby Association is in their first season of training this year, with children as young as age eight taking to the track. This gives us a pool of skilled skaters to draft onto the adult leagues as they come of age, and gives the kids an incredible advantage of having the skills and experience that many of today’s adult skaters have never had.
“Several leagues in Atlantic Canada have received full Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) status, which is like the NHL, or NFL of roller derby,” said Harvey. “The sport is continuing to evolve, and expand at an incredible rate.”
In addition to the upcoming Skate-A-Thon, there is also a GoFundme page set up to help support the team’s fall trip. Check it out!
Capital City Rollers 2017 Skate-A-Thon | Tuesday April 11, 2017 | Capital Exhibit Centre | 7 – 9 p.m. | View Event
