Watch: Tulsa Roughnecks Roller Derby Kick Off Season

Skaters in the Roughneck Roller Derby are gearing up for their first charity event this weekend.

The team is kicking off their season with a Skate-A-Thon to benefit local non-profits ahead of the first match of the year. 

"I am just looking forward to getting people in and watching us skate,” said Reid Patten, Committee Chair of the Street Team for the Roughneck Roller Derby.

She says the first match was originally scheduled for Saturday, but the group hit a roadblock.           

"We did not have enough referees or non-skating officials to be able to pull it off, unfortunately,” Patten said. 

Patten says the lack is due to people not returning post-pandemic or people moving. 

But the team isn't letting that stop them from lacing up their skates.

For this weekend's event, ticket entry is a canned food item, and each will go to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Part of the money raised will go to the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.        

"There's going to be kids’ games, people skating all night, five bouts of five or six skaters. So, there will be action going on the whole time."

She says the game is moved to July, where the Cherry Bombs and Red Dirt Rollers will compete at the Rhema Ninowski Rec Center. For the home games, the league is split into those two teams.

"We've been putting a lot of effort into all of these events, into our fundraising and community engagement. And I just can't wait to see it all come together,” Patten said.