This year’s Paddlestar Galactica was a blast! We gathered at SPIN DC with excitement, fabulous costumes, and competitive spirit, all excited to amplify youth voices here in DC. For our player-fundraisers, the offbeat bracket-style tournament capped off over a month of fundraising to support 826DC’s free writing programs for DC students—the value of the donations they raised went toward “buying” cheats like making their opponents use flyswatters, eyepatches, or impenetrable sunglasses. For everyone else, it was simply a wonderful time for a wonderful cause.
Paddlestar Galactica is always fun to watch, and this year was no exception. The costumes—from team Cobra Kai’s martial arts-inspired ensembles to the team Paddle your Own Canoe’s costumes of “Parks and Rec” character Ron Swanson—delighted participants and spectators alike.
“Everyone had such great energy,” one participant remarked, “and [was] really excited to participate in such a fun and ridiculous event for such a good cause. Loved the spirit!”
We loved the spirit, too. We also loved that, altogether, we were able to raise $59,500 to help us continue to serve thousands of young local writers and their teachers! Team Cornerstone may have won the tournament trophy, but Paddlestar VII was truly a win for the community.
Check out the rest of the photos here.
We’d like to thank everyone who gave, played, or attended Paddlestar Galactica VII, as well as our incredible venue, SPIN DC, and these generous sponsors and supporters:
Catherine Wakelyn
Clark Construction
Kimsey Foundation
West Wing Writers
Yelp
Even if you couldn’t join us this year, you can still be part of the fun! Help us beat $60K, and show your support with a gift of any size here.
Interested in joining us next year? Fill in the form below and we’ll contact you ahead of Paddlestar VIII.
[gravityform id=”20″ title=”true” description=”true”]
