Geneva Library Foundation to host 'Dodge, Drink, and Dine'
"Dodge, Drink and Dine" is a Geneva first - an adults-only dodgeball tournament! Eight teams of 10 will face off in a single-elimination, winner-take-all dodgeball tournament at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Stephen Persinger Recreation Center in Geneva.
Participants will dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge (again) balls hurled across the court by their friends, neighbors, co-workers, and spouses. (If you do not get the reference - or are looking for motivation - rent "Dodgeball.") Spectators will hoot and holler as they root for their favorite (or the most ridiculous) team, enjoying side games and raffles, all while dining on appetizers provided by some of Geneva's best restaurants and enjoying a variety of beverages.
The best part? It is all for a good cause. All proceeds from the event benefit the Geneva Library Foundation. The foundation was established in 2005 to provide a substantial, permanent, and stable source of funds to support the Geneva Public Library.
"The library is an incredible resource for everyone in Geneva," says foundation president Mike Longo. "It's constantly evolving to offer more and more resources to the community. And now is an exciting time for the library, with the prospect of a new building on the horizon. But it means the library, after supporting the community for decades, now needs the community to support it."
The Geneva Library Foundation uses funds raised to provide grants to the library to pay for services or purchase materials. Recently, the foundation granted funds to help the library develop its own mobile app. The foundation also hosts community enrichment programs, most notably the Speaker Series, which hosts speakers on topics as diverse as the discovery of the Higgs-Boson to first-person accounts of Civil Rights marches with Martin Luther King Jr. to interstellar travel to Mars. On Wednesday, Sept. 28, the foundation will be hosting Raymond Benson - one of the continuation authors for the James Bond series - to present on the history of "007."
But why a dodgeball tournament? "You know, everyone kind of laughed at me when I initially suggested the idea," says foundation vice president Peter Evans. "There are so many fundraisers in Geneva, and the community does such a great job of supporting so many groups, that I wanted the foundation to come up with something totally different and unique, something that would set us apart and get people excited about supporting the library foundation."
The event has certainly caught people's attention. According to Evans, "Almost everyone person we talk to, whether it's casual conversation or we're looking for a sponsor, asks how to sign up to play."
Tickets are available by visiting genevalibraryfoundation.org and clicking the link for "Dodge, Drink and Dine."
Tickets to compete in the tournament are $35 and tickets to watch are $25. You can sign up as a whole team, a small group, or an individual, but tickets are limited, so do not delay.
The event also has caught the eye of local businesses. Longo states, "We've gotten a lot of great donations from local businesses that will be used in raffles and other games at the event. We've also been fortunate to draw financial support from businesses like Skawski Law Offices in Oak Brook and Meijer."
The foundation also received generous donations from Stockholm's Pub and Fox River Distilling Company, which will be serving drinks at the event, and Nobel House, which is providing food.
"We're very excited. We hope this becomes an annual event people look forward to in Geneva. We might even have to add more teams next year," says Evans.
The Geneva Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The foundation is committed to providing a substantial, permanent, and stable source of funds to support the Geneva Public Library.