Cherry City Roller Derby
{{Short description|Roller derby league in Oregon, US}}
{{Infobox roller derby league
| name = Cherry City Roller Derby
| founded = 6 April 2009
| dissolved =
| metro area = Salem, Oregon
| country = United States
| logo = Cherry_City_Roller_Derby_logo.png
| pixels = 150px
| teams = 8-Wheeled Assassins (A-Team),
Boneyard Brawlers,
Renegades,
Cherry Blossoms (Juniors)
| tracks = Flat
| venue = Madhouse
| affiliations = WFTDA
| orgtype =501(c)(3)
| url = {{url|http://www.cherrycityrollerderby.com}}
}}
Cherry City Roller Derby (CCRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Salem, Oregon, and a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Cherry City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).{{cite web|title=Cherry City Roller Derby – WFTDA|url=https://wftda.com/wftda-leagues/cherry-city-roller-derby/|website=wftda.com|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=7 October 2017}}
History and structure
Cherry City began as Cherry City Derby Girls in 2009, with the prompting of Ryan Rogers of Culture Shock of Salem.{{cite web |title=Skate Club - Salem Weekly News |url=https://salemweeklynews.com/2009/09/skate-club/ |website=Salem Weekly News |access-date=28 August 2018 |date=1 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829020229/https://salemweeklynews.com/2009/09/skate-club/ |archive-date=29 August 2018 |url-status=dead }} There were no tryouts initially and over 100 women signed up for the league. The first official practice occurred on April 6, 2009.{{Cite news|url=https://desperatelyseekingsalem.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/cherry-city-derby-girls-gets-rolling/|title=Cherry City Derby Girls get rolling|date=2009-03-13|work=Desperately Seeking Salem|access-date=2018-08-26|language=en-US}} The league's formal end-of-season event, the Black and Red Ball, commemorates this event in April each year.
By March 2010, Cherry City was attracting more than 3,000 fans to its bouts,Justin Much, "[https://archive.today/20120914112030/http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100307/NEWS/3070369/Hell-on-wheels-proves-heavenly-for-fans-who-pack-derby-event Hell on wheels proves heavenly for fans, who pack derby event]", Statesman-Journal, March 7, 2010 while the team's skaters ranged from 18 to over 50 years old.Eric Howald, "[http://keizertimes.com/?p=6800 Brutal truths of the derby sisterhood]", Keizertimes, April 20, 2011 CCRD has also hosted a junior roller derby program, the Cherry Blossoms, since 2012. This is open to all genders, ages 7 to 18.{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Carlee |title=Cherry Blossoms junior roller derby active in Salem |url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/life/2014/11/23/junior-roller-derby-active-salem/19457989/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=Statesman Journal |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Cherry City Roller Derby {{!}} flat track roller derby in Salem, Oregon for women, non-binary people, and juniors |url=http://www.cherrycityrollerderby.com/about/join-junior-roller-derby-salem/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |language=en-US}}
The league was accepted onto the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice Program in July 2010,"[http://wftda.com/news/apprentice-program-welcomes-16-new-leagues-july-2010 WFTDA Apprentice Program welcomes 16 new leagues] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912084626/http://wftda.com/news/apprentice-program-welcomes-16-new-leagues-july-2010 |date=2010-09-12 }}", 8 July 2010 and became a full member of the WFTDA in December 2012."[http://wftda.com/news/new-members-december-2012 WFTDA Welcomes 14 New Members] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206074158/http://wftda.com/news/new-members-december-2012 |date=2012-12-06 }}", 3 December 2012 Cherry City played their first WFTDA sanctioned game on March 30, 2013, defeating the Sick Town Derby Dames 233-158. In September 2013, Cherry City hosted a WFTDA Division 1 Playoff,{{cite web |title=September 27-29, 2013: Salem, Oregon - Women’s Flat Track Derby Association |url=https://wftda.org/tournaments/2013/salem |website=wftda.org |publisher=WFTDA |access-date=28 August 2018}} and was featured as "League of the Month" for October.{{cite web |title=October 2013 Featured League:Cherry City Derby Girls - Featured Leagueof the Month - Women’s Flat Track Derby Association |url=https://wftda.org/featured-league/cherry-city-derby-girls |website=wftda.org |publisher=WFTDA |access-date=28 August 2018 |date=15 October 2013}}
In 2016, the league rebranded as Cherry City Roller Derby.{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Carlee |title=Cherry City Roller Derby season opener Sept. 24 |url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/entertainment/2016/09/12/cherry-city-roller-derby-season-opener-sept-24/89775834/ |website=Statesman Journal |access-date=28 August 2018 |language=en |date=12 September 2016}} The change was aimed to be more gender-inclusive to non-cisgender members and volunteers. This also reflected a change in the junior program which now began to allow all genders.
At the end of Season 9 in May 2018, CCRD retired the four existing home teams: Dolls of Anarchy, Thrill Kill Kittens, Rydell Belles, and Panty Raiders. This was in order to facilitate a restructure for the following season. Season 10 opened with three newly-formed teams in September 2018: 8-Wheel Assassins, Boneyard Brawlers, and Capital Punishers. In 2019, Capital Punishers changed their name to Renegades.{{Cite web |title=Cherry City Roller Derby {{!}} flat track roller derby in Salem, Oregon for women, non-binary people, and juniors |url=https://www.cherrycityrollerderby.com/about/teams/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |language=en-US}} 8-Wheel Assassins is a travel team, competing against teams from other WFTDA leagues. The Boneyard Brawlers (BYB) compete regionally, and Renegades compete on a strictly local level.
WFTDA rankings
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Season
!Final ranking"[https://wftda.com/category/rankings/ Current Rankings]", WFTDA !Playoffs |
|---|
| 2013
|DNQ |DNQ |
| 2014
|DNQ |DNQ |
| 2015
|DNQ |DNQ |
| 2016
|DNQ |DNQ |
| 2017
|DNQ |DNQ |
Volunteerism
{{unsourced section|date=August 2018}}
Though skating members pay for their membership, many people involved in the CCRD community do not. Often these hard working affiliates of the CCRD league are volunteers that help with Bout Production. These affiliates enable CCRD to maintain quality bout productions while lowering the overhead costs of these events. Without the help of the community and their volunteers, CCRD would not be able to thrive as it does today. Because of this, CCRD is always extremely grateful for the volunteers that have come from the community.
Affiliated charities
{{unsourced section|date=August 2018}}
There are six charities that are affiliated with CCRD currently. These charities receive 100% of the proceeds from raffle tickets that are sold during roller derby bouts hosted by CCRD. Additionally, CCRD will participate in events as volunteers with these charities throughout the year.
CCRD is also named as a caretaker in the Adopt a Street program for Salem, Oregon.
Cherry City Roller Derby is responsible for a section of D Street in Salem, Oregon running from 5th street to 20th street. The quarterly event they hold is called the "D Street Clean-Up" by CCRD members. Adult and junior skaters, and CCRD affiliates can be seen on this stretch of street periodically throughout the year in orange vests cleaning the neighborhood.