Silicon Valley Roller Derby Looks to Raise Money for Next Season, Plays Season Finale

A local roller derby team will host a fundraiser ahead of its final bout of the season.

The Silicon Valley Roller Derby will put on its Skate-a-Thon from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, at The Plex, 800 Embedded Way in San Jose.

Tara Flores, or as she is better known “Patty Hearse,” her derby call sign, said roller derby is a very “underground, DIY” sport. Consequently, teams need to raise money for travel, equipment, jerseys and rink fees. Since the team doesn’t charge an entrance fee for games, it relies on fundraising to fill its coffers for such expenses.

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“You have to want to be here to be here. You get out what you put in,” Flores, the team’s trainer, said. “We really rely on our community, our fans, our spectators to support our sport … There are no owners or business managers that run this. It is all the skaters.”

The idea behind the Skate-a-Thon is that spectators sponsor skaters for every lap. While blockers like Flores may not be as fast as a jammer — the agile point-scorers on the team — she said endurance is key. The team gets pretty competitive with one another, and the event is a way to involve the fan base, Flores said.

A COVID-19 resurgence earlier in the season also caused the team to reschedule a game until the end of the season. That game, also set to take place at The Plex, will be 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13.

The team typically does a few fundraisers throughout the season, but Flores said the final fundraiser and game highlight the skaters, showing how far they’ve come since the season’s start.

The team hopes to raise $5,000 to fund next year’s expenses. To donate or sponsor a skater for the Skate-a-Thon, visit the team’s Facebook Page or its Instagram. You will also find more information about the season’s final game.

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