If you thought the Ark Valley High Rollers (AVHR) were just a bunch of girls who knock each other around on skates, you might be surprised to find out what else they are up to off the track. The High Rollers recently walked away with a 279-26 win over High Desert Derby in front of a sold out crowd. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from the bout will go to Emily Wilson to help pay for medical expenses.
“Giving back to the community is one of the key elements of our organization and is the big reason we operate as a non-profit,” says Lisa Malde the co-founder and head coach of the Ark Valley High Rollers. “Each one of our skaters works a day job, skates in the evening and also has a desire to be involved in the community.”
If that weren’t enough, the High Rollers were part of a joint Senate resolution “to acknowledge leadership, development and empowerment of women that the sport of women’s flat track roller derby promote” that was passed unanimously earlier this year.
“My former league, the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, drafted the resolution and included twelve other Colorado leagues including the Ark Valley High Rollers”, Malde said. “It’s important for us to empower and inspire women by demonstrating physical and mental strength both on and off the track and providing positive athletic role models to our community is part of that”.
The High Rollers recently received even more good news. Only one year after the league was established, they have been accepted as an “Apprentice” affiliate of the WFTDA, the governing body for women’s amateur flat track roller derby.
As an Apprentice affiliate of the WFTDA, AVHR joins the ranks of more than 100 all-female, skater-owned-and-operated leagues nationwide that have united to lead the growing sport of women’s flat track roller derby.
You can catch the Ark Valley High Rollers at their next open to the public scrimmage on Thursday April 28th at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. Doors are at 6pm and the event begins at 7pm. A five dollar donation gets you in the door and for those twenty-one and over, beer will be available for purchase.
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