The rain stayed away, and the donations came pouring in. The 2019 Panther City Dodgeball Tournament raised $10,500 for Read Fort Worth on North Texas Giving Day (NTGD). The eighth annual event, organized by the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth’s Young Leaders Steering Committee, has traditionally raised money to support education in Tarrant County.
“We’d like to thank the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth for including Read Fort Worth in such a fun and impactful event,” said Elizabeth Brands, Read Fort Worth Executive Director. “This generous donation will help Read Fort Worth invest in solutions that reduce or mitigate the barriers that poverty creates to learning because neither a child’s zip code nor how much money their parents earn should ever be a predeterminate of their future success.”
The tournament took place at the CERA Recreation Facility, with 30 company teams from across Fort Worth battling each other to dodge, well, foam balls. The skies threatened to open up, but the sun fought through to keep teams such as the Untouchables and Roger Dodgers dry. The funds collected will assist Read Fort Worth in its efforts to promote success for Fort Worth ISD students.
“The Real Estate Council knows that where there are excellent education systems, there is also excellent economic development and the Young Leader’s Council has been giving the funds from the Dodgeball Tournament to schools and literacy programs since it was created,” said Karen Fox, Executive Director Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth. “The great thing about contributing to Read Fort Worth is that our funds can be used across Tarrant County to make a difference and help us get all third graders reading on level by 2025.”
The mission of the Real Estate Council is to influence action and support change to accomplish long-term job growth and enhance the quality of life for everyone in Tarrant County. The Council supports initiatives that create greater economic development, improve transit, and impact education systems, including Read Fort Worth.
The Council raised $9,500 for Read Fort Worth in 2018. Overall, Read Fort Worth had $11,811 donated on NTGD. The funds were once again matched by an anonymous donor, bringing the total donation to $23,622.
“We love that we can double our donation by giving on North Texas Giving Day,” Fox said. “We purposely planned the event on NTGD so that our match would make an even greater impact for Read Fort Worth.”
The Tournament is organized by the REC’s Young Leaders, who volunteer time outside of their busy work schedules to bring together about 300 people who comprise the dodgeball teams to have fun and raise money.