St. Charles County-based St. Chux Derby Chix are hosting a quad-wheeled showcase this weekend where monies raised help fund their league for future competition while additional donations benefit an area non-profit.
SCDC presents “Skatesgiving: Slamming Skates and Filling Plates” Sunday at Steel Shop Athletic and Events (49 Lawrence St., Saint Charles). Doors open at 4 pm and the first whistle blows at 4:30 pm.
Tickets are $10 for general admission while children under 12 are free.
This marks the inaugural fundraiser of this type for the flat-track franchise founded in 2009 that ramped up their activity in 2023.
“We are so excited to host Skatesgiving and bring derby to our community,” said SCDC President Trekkie Monster. “We focused this year on recruitment, league growth, and community engagement, so this event really encompasses everything we’ve been building towards.”
Sunday marks SCDC’s first appearance at their St. Charles venue since September 2022. It gives SCDC the opportunity to re-connect with the public as well as provide a glimpse of their future.
“We’re ecstatic to see our newer members apply what they’ve learned – both on and off skates – and we can’t wait to welcome our fans back to Steel Shop,” said Trekkie.
What makes this event unique will be the complexion of teams facing each other. Rather than the traditional set-up of a SCDC team competing against a visiting opponent from another city, multiple all-gender teams culled from over 10 regional roller derby franchises will be assembled based on skaters’ tenure and skill set.
Alongside SCDC, other athletes Sunday will represent the following Midwestern leagues: Arch Rival Roller Derby (St. Louis), Confluence Crush Roller Derby (Metro East Illinois), GateKeepers Roller Derby (St. Louis), Dark River Derby Coalition (Quincy, IL), Rolla Rockets (Rolla, MO), Southern Illinois Roller Girls (Marion, IL), Prairieland Punishers (Decatur, IL), Brigade of Handsome Gentlemen (Marion, IL), Roughneck Roller Derby (Tulsa, OK) and West Kentucky Rockin’ Rollers (Paducah, KY).
Three on-track matchups will be presented: a “Rookie Rumble” for skaters newer to the sport, an advanced contest for those with around three years of flat-track play, and a finale for skaters that possess longer tenures.
“While creating this event, it was a priority to make it accessible to all levels of skating,” said SCDC Vice-President Zombie Firefly. “The bottom line is that we all love this sport and more opportunities need to be created for all skill sets to be involved. From newbie to vet, we all are an integral part of keeping the sport alive.”
Within the planning stages, SCDC also felt like there was the need for community outreach by raising donations for a local non-profit organization.
‘Skatesgiving was created to not only bring derby players together but to also increase awareness of the food crisis in our local communities,” said Firefly. “I think every team struggles with choosing a non-profit charity. There are so many worthy causes and with Skatesgiving, we felt it was most appropriate to lean toward one that focuses on food insecurity.”
For the inaugural edition of “Slamming Skates and Filling Plates,” SCDC selected Bridgeton-based St. Louis Area Foodbank, which has distributed over 46 million meals to Missouri and Illinois families since its 1975 founding. Fans can bring non-perishable items to the event for a direct drop-off.
“Lack of enough food is a layered social issue and by supporting St. Louis Area Foodbank, it helps to feed individuals and families in 26 counties,” said Zombie. “They serve as a bridge between the needs of our communities and the resources available.”
Items that can be donated include: all canned goods, boxed rice, pasta and cereal products, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, as well as personal care and baby items.
On skates, SCDC is using the event to keep potential momentum rolling for league members as they prepare for the next roll of the calendar year.
“For our league members, Skatesgiving is an opportunity to finish 2023 strong, and a catalyst to drive us into the new year,” said Trekkie Monster. “We truly can’t say ‘thank you’ enough to the fans, friends, families, sponsors, and community members who have supported us in 2023. Their ongoing support means so much to us as we prepare for our 2024 season.”
More info on SCDC can be found at their official website.
By trade, he is a six-time, regional Emmy Award-winning news videographer/editor for KTVI/KPLR-TV. By hobby, he is a writer for Arch City Media, dating back to February 2014. Emphasis is on featuring and promoting local women's sports, but will cover anything that is not reported by traditional media outlets. Also a contributor to local concert reviews.
