We've all heard the stories and seen the photos. People fleeing their homes and lining up at the southern border of the United States only to be detained, separated, and caged in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. All due to racist and xenophobic policies that we should be fighting to end.
Immigrants trying to come to the US are not criminals. And we shouldn't need to see pictures of the conditions and hear stories of children being traumatized to want to put a stop to it.
My name is Emily Stonecipher (Prime in derby circles) and I am hosting a fundraiser for RAICES on July 20th during a workout challenge at RollerCon. (Inspired by my friend Maria Rodriguez of Fear Her Fight Athletics.) In roller derby, we talk so much about empowerment, equality, and justic within our sport but we aren't doing much to consistently pay that forward.
RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, was founded in 1986 by Refugee Aid Project activists in South Texas. The organization combines immigration law with advocacy, staffing 130 attorneys, legal assistants and support staff who provide consulations, direct legal services, representation, assistance and advocacy for people in an immigration system that breaks apart families and leaves millions without pathways to legal status.
I'll be contributing 100% of the donations from this event to RAICES Texas. If you're interested in participating, the challenge is explained below:
BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT CHALLENGE
You have 20 minutes to do as many reps of the workout as possible. For this, the minimum requirement is a 10 cent pledge per rep. That means, if you complete 400 reps during the 20 minutes, your donation is $40. The workout is as follows:
• 10 push-ups
• 20 superpersons
• 20 squats
• 10 side plank reach-throughs
Modifications are welcome and available for any of the exercise listed above.
When you arrive to the workout challenge (anytime between 12:45pm and 1:20pm on July 20th in Ballroom D of the Westgate) you will fill out a card with your name on it, your donation per rep agreement, and your signature saying that you understand what you'll be paying at the end of your workout.
EX: "My name is __________ and I am donating $X per every rep I complete today." * signature*
I'm really excited to see the roller derby community come together for a critically important cause during a truly wonderful week of fun within our sport. I can't wait to band together in taking action to make a difference in the world and start change here.
Thank you so much!
Tea & Tentacles,
Prime
