Naperville church to host dodgeball tournament

Soon after New Orleans was sent reeling by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Branden Marks found himself in the ravaged Gulf Coast city.

"That was really crazy," said the Neuqua Valley senior. "We were right in the Lower Ninth Ward. There were houses on top of cars."

While the devastation and chaos left in the storm's wake made an indelible impression on Marks, it was the united front created by his fellow relief workers that was even more unforgettable.

"It's cool being with people from different states, there all for the same reason," he said. "It feels really good to do it."

Marks helped remove debris and mold with a group of volunteers from his church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Naperville. He's been on similar church outings to Michigan and Colorado.

Next summer, a group led by church members will head to an area near Waterloo, Iowa to help rebuild what was lost during last June's rampaging floods.

Marks said 50 to 60 young Good Shepherd members will be joined by members of seven or eight other local churches on that trip.

To help finance the effort, Good Shepherd is hosting a fundraising dodgeball tournament on Jan. 2 and 3 in the church's activity center.

"The funds are going to go to sending a group of high school kids to a work camp for a week," said church organizer Joe Bunge. "The kids get in there and roll up their sleeves. We're trying to raise $12,000. We're trying to do it through this one fundraiser."

Marks said funds for previous work trips were raised through barbecues and car washes. But this year, he said, church leaders decided to present a bigger event that the surrounding community could participate in and enjoy watching.

"Everybody likes dodgeball," he said.

The tournament will feature family play, play for high-schoolers and contests for adults, said Janice Rubin, Good Shepherd's director of family life and student ministries.

Church members and community members are welcome to participate, she said.

"We are trying to figure a way to do an event that would include community people and church family people," she said.

Rubin said community and church members also can volunteer to help with food concessions, security, refereeing and team check-in.

Teams will each have six to eight players. Registration is $200 per team. Funds also are being raised through corporate sponsorships, Rubin said.

To keep the game safe, Bunge said, players will use a lightweight, foam ball to aim at opposing team members.

"They throw the ball, and you try to avoid it," he said, "just like the old days."

If you go

What: Dodgin' 4 Dough

Benefits: Iowa flood relief efforts

When: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 2 and 3

Where: Good Shepherd Church, 1310 Shepherd Drive, Naperville

Registration cost: $200 per team

Call: (630) 961-9220, ext. 14

Info: dodgin4dough.com