The annual powderpuff tournament was at Rock Bridge Field, an event that pitted female flag football teams from each year against each other, in which the senior team “won” the championship game 46-20 just a month ago.
Despite being a highly entertaining gender swapping laugh, (including shirtless “Bruin Boys”), the event was a charitable event where the $15 entrance fee to compete. While a portion of that money went to creating the T-shirts for the players, the rest went to the St. Francis House and the Z. Lois Bryant House, two homeless shelters in Columbia.
“I orchestrated the game set up,” senior class president Taylor DeVault said. “The process of acquiring materials and staff volunteers was done by [senior] Betsy Poehlman and myself; I designed this year’s T-shirts.”
Poehlman believes a key part of getting the school to contribute to the outside community is finding ways to create a fun event to attract more attention and contributors.
“I feel like powderpuff not only brings Rock Bridge closer together with some friendly competition and the involvement of many different girls,” Poehlman said. “But it also brings RBHS closer to the community and allows us to help the less fortunate while having some fun.”
To many students powderpuff is an important tradition to maintain, however DeVault knows that the necessity of the event goes further than that.
“We are all part of a greater community outside of Rock Bridge,” DeVault said. “Columbia is a great place to live, and it only feels right to give back in any way that we can.”
Just as important as the game, is the process of donating to these shelters. Poehlman was proud to have accomplished organizing the event.
“What I enjoyed most was seeing the smiles on the people at the women’s shelter when we donated the supplies,” Poehlman said.
By Luke Chval
Photo by Renata Williams