HYDE PARK – The Hudson Valley Horrors roller derby team held a well-attended scrimmage on November 10th to continue rebuilding after the pandemic put the sport on hold. The ladies used the gathering of nearly 60 skaters to collect non-perishable food items for the food pantry at Dutchess Outreach and raise money for the upcoming Foodstock XV benefit concert.
Hudson Valley Horrors skater Meagen Corse said the team was excited about getting back on skates and helping charities. “This is a great sport that brings people from all walks of life together,” Corse said. “Knowing that food pantries like the one at Dutchess Outreach went above and beyond during the pandemic, we wanted to help them by asking skaters and spectators to bring food to the scrimmage. The response was tremendous.”
Skaters and spectators that did not bring food items were asked to make a minimum donation of $5. The funds collected, which totaled $500, were turned over to the Foodstock Fund in advance of their Foodstock XV concert on December 10th at the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie. The annual concert brings several bands to the stage and serves as a fundraiser/food drive for Dutchess Outreach and also benefits the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie.
Foodstock’s Ryan Michael attended the scrimmage and was overwhelmed by the number of people at the rink. “I didn’t know what to expect when the Horrors asked me to come to the match. The number of people gathered to watch the women skate was impressive and the ladies put on an incredible show. When they presented $500 to me afterward, I could only think of the number of people that the money will help to feed through Dutchess Outreach.”
Roller derby is sanctioned by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. According to the organization, a match consists of two 15-skater teams playing two 30-minute periods. Each period consists of multiple “jams.” Each jam is an opportunity for both teams to score points and ends after 2 minutes or when the Lead Jammer calls off the jam. It is legal for skaters to block opponents with their hips, rear, and shoulders. It is not legal to block to the back, trip, elbow, or to back-talk officials. Players committing illegal actions are penalized 30 seconds and their team plays short for that time. A full list of the basics of the game that is played by women in several countries can be found here.
Video clip of the Hudson Valley Horrors recent scrimmage:
