Derby Girls Give Back to the Community

SVRG loves to donate time and money to local charities. Volunteering not only gives us a chance to reach out to the community that supports us but also gives us an opportunity to bond together with our derby sisters off-skates. As an added bonus, we get enormous satisfaction from learning new skills—like using power tools! Here’s a glimpse of a few of the local nonprofits we’ve been helping out this spring.

SVRG volunteers at the Cupertino site (Left to Right): Asian Orange, Culo Whippin’, Maui Howlee, Unleasha Moore, Skirt Vonna-Gut, Mad 4 Gravy, Mama Booty (spending Mother’s Day volunteering with her daughter), Lizapalooza, Mongoose, Booty Vicious, Spankin’ Firecracker, and Surge

Habitat for Humanity, Silicon Valley

In honor of National Women Build Week, SVRG volunteered for a day at the development in Cupertino, where four houses are being built. We helped to build a fence and put up panels on the sides of three houses.

For each of our home games, SVRG donates 10% of all proceeds to charity. A portion of our March 24^th bout proceeds went to benefit Habitat for Humanity, and 100% of the profits from our Derby Girl Karaoke event at the Normandy House Lounge in Santa Clara on March 16^th were given to Habitat for Humanity. Combined, we donated about $1,000 and 100 volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity this year alone.

For over 25 years, Habitat for Humanity Silicon Valley has been helping hard-working families who live in inadequate housing find affordable and safe places to live in Santa Clara County. Together with volunteers, these families build houses and embark on the path to homeownership, thanks to generous donations of money, labor, and supplies.

SVRG reps (Bullet Sucker, Foo Bar, Sasha Degrader, Maui Howlee, and Bad Tempt-Her) plus other One Brick volunteers help paint over graffiti in San Jose

One Brick, Silicon Valley

One Brick is a unique national organization that helps volunteers contribute to a variety of nonprofits on a drop-in or one-time basis. One Brick takes individuals or groups, and allows volunteers to commit a couple hours or an entire day. With a dozen chapters located across the continental US, volunteering in your area was never easier!

We love volunteering for One Brick projects! For the Global Day of Service on April 21^st, SVRG helped paint over graffiti in San Jose. In addition to sweat equity, 10% of our May 19^th bout proceeds went to One Brick.

Be sure to stop by our table at One Brick’s Community Dog Walk in Palo Alto on June 24^th. Meet some derby girls and their pets! Your $10 registration fee will go towards One Brick and, in return, your pooch will get a bandana and a doggie bag.

SVRG volunteers massage pepper plants (Left to Right): Smash N’ Burn, Catherine Beata Bones, Surge, Veggielution rep, Absolutely Scabulous, Skirt Vonna-Gut, and Skooter Ov’r

Veggielution, San Jose

A percentage of our June 23^rd bout proceeds will be donated to Veggielution, a community farm in San Jose. SVRG volunteers have experienced the therapeutic effects of getting their hands dirty, spending a couple of sunny days in March and May weeding and gardening. Veggielution aims to teach the public about sustainable urban farming and volunteers always go home with fresh veggies!

If your organization is in need of volunteers, shoot us an email at
community@svrollergirls.com. We’re always looking for ways to give back to the community!

Featured Charity: Be a Dear and Donate a Brassiere

SVRG collected bras for Be A Dear last summer at one of our exhibition bouts!

“Be a Dear and Donate a Brassiere” is a community organization that collects new and gently-used bras which are then donated to other local charities that serve women in need. Most women would agree that having a comfortable, well-fit bra is key to feeling confident in your wardrobe.

When hunting for a new job, or even just taking care of daily chores, wearing the right bra is important. Bras can be very expensive and when making donations to charities the need for bras is often overlooked. Be a Dear’s mission is to change that and make sure every woman has access to the comfort and support they need.

Last season SVRG teamed up with Be a Dear and collected bras at one of our exhibition bouts, and this season Be a Dear will be at our June 11th bout collecting new and gently-used bras for Sacred Heart. Please bring your gently-used or new bras to their table, or if you’d prefer to drop off your donations some other time, email them at onebraone@gmail.com to arrange it. You can also find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BeaDearandDonateaBrassiere

Featured Charity: YWCA

SVRG fully supports the mission of the Silicon Valley YWCA.  On April 27th, a group of our skaters were there to cheer on the participants of the YWCA’s “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”, a rape awareness event. Men signed up to walk a mile in a pair of borrowed high heels in order to demonstrate their support of women and help get the word out about rape statistics and prevention.

SVRG at Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, 2011

The mission of the YWCA is to empower women and eliminate racism. YWCA provides support to women in times of crisis, and helps them deal with the impact of domestic violence and rape. YWCA provides job training, career counseling and child care to help women be independent and strong.

How can you support the YWCA?
1) Financial donations are always needed.
2) Volunteer your time! Areas where volunteers are always needed include:

• Event Committees
• Family Services Department
• Rape Crisis Center and Hotline
• Child Care Center
• AVID Tutors
• Child Mentors

For more info, or to get involved, check them out online.

Featured Charity: Sacred Heart Community Service

The Silicon Valley Roller Girls have spent many volunteer hours with Sacred Heart since 2007, so it’s no surprise that Sacred Heart will be the recipient of a portion of our bout proceeds on Saturday, June 11^th (tickets are available now – Click Here). SVRG has worked countless hours organizing clothing donations and bagging groceries to be given to needy area families, including during a volunteer event this past March. Our junior derby league, Derby 2.0, also joined in the fun and worked with us to give back!

Scait Riot and Smack Dahlia lend a helping hand

Derby 2.0 bags groceries for needy families at SHCS

The mission of Sacred Heart is to address the issues associated with poverty. Many different programs are designed to make the lives of local working poor families better. Three categories of assistance are available to the needy. One addresses housing and basic needs, such as food and clothing. The second addresses education and helps people become self-sufficient. The third teaches people to be self-advocates and to speak up for the needs of the working poor. Hopefully, if everyone works together we can bring Silicon Valley’s needy up to a decent standard of living.

If you would like to donate to Sacred Heart, please consider some of the following options:

1) Financial donations are always needed and welcome.
2) Volunteer your time! There are many different opportunities to work with Sacred Heart.
3) Donate clothing, food, personal hygiene items, baby diapers and formula, or office supplies.
4) If you have an un-used gift card lying around, someone else might really need it! Sacred Heart can get it to them. Bus passes are also in high demand.
5) Donate your recyclables, like clean egg cartons, rubber bands, and plastic bags.

For more info, check out Sacred Heart online.

Featured Charity: Career Closet

Career Closet is our featured charity and will be accepting donations at our April 2nd bout! If you have clothing, accessories, or handbags that you would like to donate, please bring them with you and drop them off at their booth! You can also stop by to learn more about Career Closet’s programs and locations. A portion of the proceeds from the bout will also go to Career Closet!

Career Closet is a nonprofit organization that lends a hand to women wanting to get back into the work force. Whatever challenges they face—poverty, being a single mother, or lacking experience—Career Closet helps set them on their way to landing a job they can be proud of. The first step to a good career is confidence, and yes, it may sound silly but appropriate work attire is part of that confidence. Women come to Career Closet for personal consultations and access to affordable clothing to create the perfect working wardrobe.

In April and June, SVRG will be volunteering at several Career Closet events. You will find SVRG skaters working the April 9th Closet Sale, assisting shoppers in finding the perfect fits. SVRG will also be participating in wardrobe consultations, helping women find styles that are both professional and fashionable. Everyone knows a roller girl has impeccable taste!

Here’s how you can help:

1) Cash donations are always welcome. Cash can be used to purchase clothing and expand the program operations, allowing Career Closet to serve more women.
2) Do you have some gently-used clothing that just doesn’t fit anymore? Donate it! Items that are new or lightly used are always appreciated.
3) Volunteer! Every women likes to hear the words, “You look fabulous!” Spend an evening helping clients pick out clothing, and encouraging them to feel confident about themselves. It’s amazing what a new outfit and a little encouragement can do for someone.

For more info on Career Closet or to get involved visit their website.

Featured Charity: The Bicycle Exchange

Bad Tempt-Her tests out a repaired scooter

The Bicycle Exchange, 2566 Leghorn St., Mountain View, CA

A part of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, the Bicycle Exchange helps needy families and individuals by repairing and donating used bicycles to partner community service organizations. Bikes benefit needy children as well as homeless individuals by providing transportation from shelters to schools and places of employment.

The Bicycle Exchange meets on selected Saturdays throughout the year to receive, repair, and distribute its inventory of donated bicycles. Their warehouse and workshop are fully outfitted with storage, repair stands, and tools for year-round operation.

New volunteers learn bicycle repair skills by assisting a team of more experienced volunteers. Mechanics always have lots to do and none are paid so they appreciate your effort to clean up your bike before donating it so they can focus on repairs.

SVRG recently volunteered with this group, and we were impressed with how much we learned about bicycle repair in a short amount of time. During our volunteer day, we helped to fix over 45 bicycles for donation, which is a very rewarding feeling.

Bad Tempt-Her, an SVRG newbie says, “I couldn’t have asked for a much more structured and valuable day. The team of experienced volunteers were readily available to provide step-by-step instruction on how to D.I.Y. regardless of the complexity of the repair. Not only did I enjoy the restoration process but I was also able to produce fully functional bicycles to people who will appreciate them most. I will definitely be volunteering or donating again in the near future!” SVRG will be back again soon and we hope to see you there!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

VOLUNTEER to fix up bikes during one of their volunteer service days from 10am to 3pm on the 2^nd or 4^th Saturday of every month. Individuals and groups are welcome, and if you volunteer 5+ work days during a year you get a T-shirt or shop apron!

DONATE a bicycle, scooter, tricycle, accessories, or even cash to help keep this great volunteer-run organization going – it’s tax deductible!

ORGANIZE a bicycle exchange chapter in your area. The Bike Exchange would like to start up a San Jose Chapter but hasn’t yet found someone with enough time to commit to organizing and running a Bike Exchange Chapter. Interested in helping? Contact them for more info.

Visit the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition for more information!

Featured Charity: One Brick

A percentage of the proceeds from our February 5^th game will be donated to One Brick, a local nonprofit organization that provides support to other local nonprofit and community organizations by creating a unique, social, and flexible volunteer environment for those interested in making a concrete difference in the community. They enable people to get involved, have an impact, and have fun—without the requirements of individual long-term commitments.

Several SVRG members volunteering at RAFT through a One Brick event

In 2010, utilizing One Brick’s awesome events, SVRG donated many community service man hours sorting school supplies at Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT), making crafts with kids on Family Fun Day at Palo Alto Art Center, serving food for a Christmas in the Park fundraiser, and sorting donations at Sacred Heart Community Service. Their events are always well-organized and tons of fun!

Come volunteer with us at One Brick by checking out their available community service events! And don’t forget to buy your tickets to our February 5^th game to help financially support this amazing organization! They’re only $11 at Brown Paper Tickets until the 15^th!

ABOUT ONE BRICK

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, One Brick is a nonprofit organization that brings volunteers together to support other local nonprofits by adopting an innovative twist to the volunteer experience. One Brick creates a friendly and social atmosphere around volunteering, and after each volunteer event—which typically lasts only 3-4 hours—they invite volunteers to gather at a local restaurant or café where they can get to know one another in a relaxed social setting.

One Brick’s “commitment-free volunteering” allows you to choose when you volunteer, rather than having to make commitments for a certain number of volunteer hours, or agree to be available every week at a specific time.

SVRG Decorates a Tree for Christmas in the Park

Texas Tea Bag, Death by Dollface, Lizapalooza, and Belle Wringer Decorate the SVRG Tree

On November 26^th, the Silicon Valley Roller Girls decorated a tree for San Jose’s Christmas in the Park, which is located at Plaza De Cesar Chavez.  The tree was adorned with ornaments, handmade by SVRG skaters.

Handmade SVRG Ornament

Each year, Plaza De Cesar Chavez is transformed into a holiday wonderland that represents communities and businesses in San Jose.  Christmas in the Park is open daily from 9am to midnight, so check out the entertainment, enjoy a hot chocolate, and take a look at SVRG’s tree!

STRIKE!

Happy Holiday Helpers: Goose, Diggler, and Smash

The Silicon Valley Roller Girls spent a very special Thanksgiving with West Valley Community Services at Bowlmor Lanes in Cupertino, ensuring that many area low-income families had a day worthy of being thankful for.

Satan’s Kitten, Stevie Knickers, and Absolutely Scabulous served a beautiful Thanksgiving lunch (on roller skates of course!) alongside other Silicon Valley notables, including United Way CEO Carole Leigh Hutton, Assemblyman Paul Fong, Cupertino Mayor Kris Wang and Saratoga Councilwoman Jill Hunter.

Diggler dishes out dessert.

Smash N’ Burn, Mongoose, Latin Crippler, Lindsay Lohanded, Catherine Beata Bones, and Cannonball Iztik worked the food line and refilled drinks, while Donna Diggler cheered families on at the bowling lanes, and Postal Servix and Beth Sentence handed out SVRG giveaways to children.

The girls were welcomed with open arms and were provided a bowling pin to sign, which will be displayed in Bowlmor’s special case alongside pins from Jason Biggs and other celebrities. They also hosted a ‘Plank-Off Against a Derby Girl’ exercise challenge against Skooter Ov’r where children vied for a chance to take home one of four frozen turkey dinners for their families!

Bowling pin autographed by SVRG

West Valley Community Services is a private nonprofit agency that provides basic needs, family services, and housing assistance in Cupertino and other West Valley communities, such as Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Los Gatos, West San Jose and the unincorporated mountain region. In 2010 thus far, SVRG has completed over 550 community service hours, and looks forward to working with WVCS again soon.

Thank you for making the SVRG Red Cross blood drive a success!

Aim De Kill gives her heart and soul to derby and her blood to the Red Cross.

The Silicon Valley Roller Girls had a huge turnout at this past
Saturday’s Red Cross Blood Drive with 28 completed blood donations.
There were so many additional donors available that some walk-ins
weren’t able to be taken in and had to be booked for other blood
drives. Staff from the Red Cross said it was the biggest turnout the
donation bus had ever seen!

SVRG wants to thank everyone who participated in the event to help
save lives, especially our donors and staff who helped to keep the
event running smoothly.  Many SVRG skaters also gave blood, including
Mauly Anna, Belle Wringer, Tennessee Smitan, Avida Sane!, Jene’mesis,
Catherine Beata Bones, Aim De Kill, Scait Riot, Smack Dahlia,
Pandamonium, the injured Saucy Monstrosity, and referee Teddy Wreckspin.

SVRG is already planning a bigger event to allow us to host more
donors for next year. If you have a large, open indoor location that
would like to host our blood drive for 2011 contact us at
community@svrollergirls.com. Interested in giving blood now? Visit
the Red Cross and sign up for a blood drive near you!

This event helped to surpass SVRG’s annual goal of completing 400
hours of community service, now currently at over 460 hours – and it’s
only August! The girls have also donated over $2,100 so far this year
to local charities including Sacred Heart Community Service, YWCA,
Habitat for Humanity, and The Support Network.

At our September 11th bout we will be raising funds for The Career
Closet, an organization which helps women prepare for entering the
workforce by providing them with a wardrobe and the confidence to
achieve their dreams. We will be giving fans SVRG giveaways for
donating a work-appropriate accessory at The Career Closet booth, so
clean out your closet and click here to get your tickets to
our last home bout of the season before it sells out!