MONTROSE – This weekend's roller derby in Montrose will be a "rock 'em, sock 'em" event – and all for a good cause.

The Arkansas Valley Roller Girls will take on the Grand Junction Derby team on Saturday, Aug. 11, at Friendship Hall, in a benefit fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Montrose County.

"It's good, clean, family-friendly fun, that will be a rowdy time that is new and different," Habitat's Executive Director Colleen Burke said.

The fifth annual event kicks off at 5 p.m., and will include the two teams, joined by several other roller derby players from across Colorado.

Roller derbies bring two teams together to battle it out in a circular arena where offense and defense takes place simultaneously, around a pivot point. Both teams designate a scoring player who works to get their team points, and teammates use strategies to block or assist those players, said Jody Parsons, a member of the Arkansas Valley team.

"It's very high-energy and exciting," she said.

Although the rules are complicated, and many viewers don't get it right away, the teams will be explaining the rules and objectives during the event, she added.

"We like to involve the audience and really get them excited," Parsons said. "It's serious while we are on the track, but the teams do get together and have fun."

Both teams will be at a 3 p.m. pre-event party at RnR Sports Bar in Montrose. The community is invited to meet the uniformed players and enjoy drink specials, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity.

Tickets for the derby are available in advance at the Habitat ReStore, 311 N. Fourth St., for $8 ($10 at the event). Families and groups can buy a four-pack tickets for $30. There will be concessions for sale, as well, again benefiting Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat is looking for volunteers to help take tickets and sell concessions, Burke said.

The organization also is looking for volunteers.

The Habitat ReStore is currently moving to a new location, 1601 N. Townsend Ave., and volunteers have been painting and moving store merchandise for several weeks.

On Friday, Sept. 7, the new store will have a 12 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony; from 6 to 10 p.m., the organization is hosting a Barn Raising and Grand Opening Celebration in a barn on  the northwest corner of its new ReStore property. There will be live music, a silent auction and a barbecue dinner (tickets are $25 per person).

Barn-raising participants will get a sneak peak of the new ReStore facility, and what it has to offer, that night, prior to its official opening on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The money raised from these events will be used to build more homes through the Habitat program. To date, the organization has built 42 homes for families in Montrose County, each one costing approximately $80,000 to construct.

The organization also plans to raise money by renting space at its new ReStore property, which includes the barn and two outlying buildings (about 2,500-square feet each), Burke said. The barn will be available to rent for events.

For more information, visit habitatmontrose.org.



Kati O'Hare at kohare@watchnewspapers.com