604 Foodtography

A lot of posts here on the site have centered around VDL, the Vancouver Dodgeball League that I’ve been a part of for the last 4 years. It’s a wonderful supportive community which when called upon, can get work done, and party hard. For those not in the know, yes it’s a legit sport and dodgeball can be pretty intense but the rules are pretty simple.

In partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and the BC Professional Firefighters Association (BCPFFA), the International Dodgeball Association (IDA) held the 1st Annual JDRF Dodgeball Open at the Richmond Olympic Oval this past Friday July 27th – Sunday July 29th, 2012.

Our goal is to fundraise for the research of finding a cure to Juvenile Diabetes through the exciting game of dodgeball, and to bring together all the dodgeball players from all over the world to support this meaningful cause.

One of the main driving forces behind this inaugural tournament is Jeff Cartwright, who first approached VDL with the idea of a charity tournament.

Soon it snowballed from there and we had sponsors such as CTV BC coming out to do a piece on us! Still looking for the video link for the segment though….

Marie Hui, a former VDL player and current anthem singer for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC came out and serenaded us with her beautiful voice.

With the opening ceremony and remarks out of the way, Saturday was a full day of round robin games and half time entertainment.

Skip rope performers from Japan.

Local dance group FRESHH, recently seen on Canada’s Got Talent and was a top 3 finalist not only came out to perform but also played dodgeball!

Illest Vibe, a dance group formed with a core of dedicated dancers from my old highschool.

After a tiring first day of rolling with the punches and seeing all the hard work put into organizing this tournament finally come to fruition, it was time for this group of volunteers to let loose and party at Boston Pizza.

Victoria Mui, one of the key organizers of IDA and this tournament, got a hands on royal treatment.

New execs were initiated, and old familiar faces drank.

After a night of drinking I can hardly remember, it was now time for playoffs on Sunday. Competition suddenly got a bit more agressive and teams truly upped their game.

VDL’s sister league, CDL (Coquitlam Dodgeball League) was out in full force, bringing along their infamous ‘C… is for party…!’ cheer and their superhuman-like spirit.

For the winners of the three tiers, trophies included a “Golden Dodgeball Globe” and the “Dodgebot“. For the best and loudest costume, “Red the Rooster” was given, keeping in line with the quirky yet fun spirit of VDL.

As an added bonus, the winners also felt like Olympians, as the Richmond Oval brought out the exact podium used in the 2010 Winter Olympics for us to use!