Roller derby enthusiasts from across California and Nevada will be converging at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock on Oct. 29 for the first ever Scare-O-Rama-Skate charity bout. The event will raise money for the We Care men’s shelter in Turlock.
Cetrina Rugado is the coach for the Sintral Valley Roller Derby squad and explained how the idea of the new local event came to fruition.
“This is the first time in our area, the next closest is in Sacramento I think,” she said. “With everyone still coming out of COVID, people are just starting to come back and get teams started and start practicing. We were having trouble booking games with people because people don’t have full teams anymore or they are just rebuilding. We just thought, well, let’s grab everyone who is skating and put together a pickup team.”
The day will see two Halloween-themed bouts scheduled, the first being an all-girls bout at 5 p.m. At 7 p.m., a co-ed bout will take place. Rugado expects there to be 40 players in the girls bout and 32 in the coed game.
Tickets for the event can be purchased in multiple way at varying prices. There is currently a ticket presale for the price of $10, which can be acquired by stopping by a practice at the Fairgrounds on Tuesdays and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., or by messaging the team on Facebook at @sintralvalleyderbygirls. Tickets will also be sold at the door, with the regular adult price being $15. Adults can get a discounted price of $10, though, if they bring in any cold weather donation for the We Care shelter in Turlock. Need donations include men’s socks, beanies, gloves, underwear and hygiene items. The $10 ticket price will also remain for children 6 and 12 years of age. Those aged 5 and under can attend for free. Ticket sales will also go towards the local shelter.
“We’ve been working with We Care for about the past three years. Community events are really big with roller derby and we try to give back to our community. We noticed in Turlock, there are not a lot for shelters for the needs. One of our girls was helping feed the shelter so we decided it would be a great partnership,” Rugado said.
Rugado explained that community members can still show up to donate to the We Care shelter even if they will not attend the games.
The event will also host a number of vendors, including a taco truck, custom Halloween crafts and catered deserts. The venue will also be serving beer, soda, water, Gatorade and snacks such as hot dogs and nachos. Vendors are still being accepted.
The event will be held inside of Building E-1 at the Fairgrounds, with doors opening at 4:30 p.m.
