Standing Up For "Stand Up For Kids" At The Clippers Charity Dodgeball Tournament

By Tara Gipson, EN2U reporter
March 26, 2008

Dodgeball at the Staples Center???

The Clippers Charity Dodgeball Tournament

Usually the Staples Center stages basketball and concert events, but on Sat, March 22, 2008, it was all about Dodgeball. Yep. You heard me. Dodgeball at the Staples Center. Boy, it was exciting indeed! Not only was it exciting because it was held at an unusual location, but the day was full of helping others. Kids came out early on Saturday morning to participate in getting homeless kids off the streets by playing in The Clippers Charity Dodgeball Tournament. In this event, kids competed against each other for the cause of goodness.

Stand Up For Kids organized the tournament and it was a definite success. Celebrities, such as G Unit, Stephen Shockley from Lakeside, Yo Yo, and Lester Speight came out to show their support for Stand Up For Kids.

Even though the event was sponsored by the The Los Angeles Clippers, the team ended up being a no show. Well, as they say in show business, "the show must go on" and it did, but in this case it was all about dodgeball.

I have to admit that watching the dodgeball tournament brought back bad, youthful memories of myself playing the game. I hated playing the game because kids liked to hit me because I was an easy target. I was the "skinny toothpick", so everyone knew I would come tumbling down.

Up to this day, I still have a ball phobia, but on Saturday I was willing to push it all aside and Stand Up For Kids. No, I didn't put on a purple shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes, but just being there and knowing more about this fabulous organization made it all worthwhile.