SIDNEY — The four “D’s” are coming your way on March 23. It’s time to “Dive, Dip, Duck and Dodge for a good cause.”
“We’ve assembled our home team and we’re ready to defend our turf,” said Sidney-Shelby County Salvation Army Captain Chastity Hansen.
The Salvation Army is hosting a dodgeball tournament to support the Summer Education Program, said Hansen.
“We have around 20 children who participate in the summer program,” said Hansen. “The Salvation Army’s mission is to give at risk kids a meal, field trips and to help fill in the learning gap that happens during the summer until school starts again in the fall.”
Last year, she said, the children planted a garden and were able to harvest some vegetables from it.
“Reading and math skills can get lost from one school year to the next,” said Hansen. “They are also used to getting a meal at school everyday. We can make sure they have a safe environment Monday to Friday.”
The Salvation Army has a partnership with the Sidney Parks and Recreation Department, which operates the summer meal program.
“They provide the meals for us,” said Hansen.
The children, said Hansen, are not charged for the summer program. Last year they took field trips to the Sidney Water Park, the Columbus Zoo and Amos Memorial Library. The program runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
The Salvation Army staff coordinates and runs the summer program, said Hansen.
“We love it when we have volunteers who want to help us,” she said. “They are always a great help.”
This is the first year the local Salvation Army is hosting a dodgeball tournament. Teams are made up of six to 10 individuals. Registration is $15 per person. The deadline to register is March 20.
“We’re hoping the local businesses and civic groups will wrangle up a team to participate,” said Hansen.
On tournament day, teams should arrive at the Salvation Army at 8:30 to check in. The tournament begins at 9 a.m.
TAM 105.5’s DJ’s D Rock and JC will be master of ceremonies for the event, said Hansen.
The major sponsor of the event is Lee’s Chicken, she said. Captain level sponsors are Alvetro Orthodontics and Cargill.
“We appreciate them (sponsors) and the way they care for our kids’ programs,” said Hensen.
Information about the tournament can also be found on the Salvation Army’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SidneyTSA/.
To register or to be a sponsor for the event, call or text Ryan at 937-244-5262.
