Niles teachers, administrators and support staff will be taking aim at each other Monday night in the district’s first Faculty Dodgeball Tournament.
Around 70 faculty members are expected to compete in the event, which is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start at the Niles High School gymnasium.
Price of admission is $2 with proceeds benefiting Project Graduation, an event designed to give graduating seniors a fun and safe night out after graduation.
Cherie Schaller, a teacher at Oak Manor Sixth Grade Center, said seven teams of about 10 people would compete in the round-robin style tournament. Each team will play seven, four-minute rounds, with one bye round. The team with the best win/loss record wins.
“We encourage and invite anyone from the community to come have fun with the event,” Schaller said. “Kids love to come and see their teachers being silly. The teachers will be wearing clothes that will be colorful and decorative to say the least.”
There will be a 50/50 raffle, dash for cash and Viking toss at halftime. Shout outs and spirit beads will be sold as well.
Schaller said they hope to raise more than $1,500 at the event.
The Faculty Dodgeball Tournament replaces the Project Graduation faculty hoops game.
Schaller said the change came because of dwindling staff participation in the hoops game.
“Basketball is a sport not everyone can play because of athletic ability and competitiveness, but just about anyone can take part in dodgeball,” she said.
Schaller said staff participation has increased three fold for the dodgeball tournament.
The dodgeball champion will receive a large kickball signed by the Class of 2012. Other prizes will be awarded for best dressed, most entertaining, most team spirit, underdog, only a mother can love and if you can’t dodge a ball stay out of traffic.
Project Graduation will be holding several other fundraising events in the coming weeks.
Tickets are being sold for a reverse raffle March 10. In a reverse raffle, all 200 tickets will be drawn with the last one being the winner. The winner receives $500.