Grab your sweatband, don your true blue attire and bring your game face. Get ready for what is being described as the “biggest battle since the war in heaven.”
Property Solutions is sponsoring Red vs. Blue Dodgeball, a mass competition for BYU and University of Utah fans to represent their teams and battle it out the night before the famed rivalry football game. The event will be held at Thanksgiving Point on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Kaitlyn Michaelis from Property Solutions said one of the purposes of the event is to get fans pumped for the upcoming game and to build camaraderie.
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If you think the idea of beating Ute fans in a dodgeball game seems priceless, you’d be right. Michaelis said attendance is free.
Not only is the price right, but the first 2,500 people who come ready to play will receive free T-shirts and J Dawgs. Michaelis said they hope to draw in crowds of fans in an attempt to break the world record for largest dodgeball game.
“We’re thinking there is a chance there will be over 3,000 people there,” she said. “The last world record was around 2,012 students, set by the University of Alberta. That’s what we’re trying to beat.”
In addition to enjoying some friendly competition and breaking a world record, Michaelis said participants will also have the opportunity to make a difference in their community.
“It’s a chance for people to get involved in the rivalry, break a world record and also support a charity,” she said.
All donations collected at the event will go toward supporting Camp Kesem — a free, week long summer camp for kids whose parents have cancer.
Brian Hansen, a co-chair for Camp Kesem, said sometimes when a parent is diagnosed with cancer, the children can get overlooked in the coping process.
“Camp Kesem is the perfect place for these kids to relate to other people coping with the same issues as they are,” he said. “It shows them that they are not alone. They get to leave their problems behind for one week and just be kids again.”
Hansen said he and other volunteers hope to help kids learn how to cope with the effects cancer.
“We teach them that they can be leaders and help out around the house with their siblings or with their parents as they are undergoing treatment,” he said. “We hope to teach them that it’s OK to talk about their hardships and know that they aren’t alone in their trials. We want them to remember to be kids and to have fun, and that laughter, happiness and friends can help in any situation, no matter how serious.”
Michaelis said kids from Camp Kesem will participate in a mini dodgeball game prior to the rivalry Red vs. Blue event.
Other pre-game activities include live music, booths with various food items and an appearance from a BYU comedian.
“Stephen Jones, the guy who did the BYU Old Spice commercial, will be the host of the event,” she said. “We’re also going to have a mini farmers market with several vendors, lots of food, things like hair braiding and bouncy castles for parents and kids. There’s also going to be a band called Nico who will be playing through most of it.”
Michaelis said the fun doesn’t stop at the end of the game.
“Afterward there will be a big dance party and a movie in the park,” she said. “We’ll have a big blow-up screen and be showing the movie ‘DodgeBall.'”
Michaelis said those interested in attending the event can visit propertysolutions.com/dodgeball to register to play, volunteer to help at the event and learn some sweet moves like the “Crouching Tiger,” “The Matrix” and the “Geronimo” to help dodge, duck and dive their way into victory.
Dave Bateman, CEO of Property Solutions, said he is happy to be sponsoring such an event.
“We recruit most of our talent from BYU and Utah so we wanted to increase our exposure at both schools, do some good and have fun at the same time,” he said.
