Help MRD Preserve Skating in Southern Maine!

Roller skating is a valuable activity, and roller derby (especially Maine Roller Derby!) is awesome. Other local leagues (Resurgam Roller Derby, Casco Bay Gentlemen’s Derby) and activities (Derby Lite and Zumba) rely on having a home. Not to mention the 30,000 people who use Happy Wheels every year for birthday parties, open skates, and social gatherings with friends. Happy Wheels has been that home. Unfortunately, Happy Wheels is for sale, and if it follows statewide trends, may close (Scarborough HW closed, Topsham rink closed last year, Bangor Great Skates closing in June). Happy Wheels is one of three remaining rinks in Maine, and we want to preserve the sport of skating in Maine by buying the building and keeping it open as a skating facility.

Maine Roller Derby is a 501(c)(3) certified non-profit organization – all donations are tax deductible.

Our Goals

• To sustain the personal, athletic and professional development of women in Southern Maine;
• To maintain a supportive athletic community for LGBT and other athletes who face discrimination in other sporting ventures; and
• To sustain roller skating, a physical activity that promotes healthy lifestyles in people of diverse backgrounds, in Southern Maine.

How to Help

• Capital Campaign Sponsorship Levels
• Donation Form
• Capital Campaign FAQ
• Click our “Donate” via PayPal button on the right-hand side of the screen under SUPPORT MRD
• Preferred: Donation via check (plus the donation form) can be sent to us at: Maine Roller Derby; P.O. Box 8413; Portland, ME 04104-8413
• Contact us with any questions or information at: pr@mainerollerderby.com
• Share this information with any and all friends that want to help!

The sport of roller derby has existed in one variation or another for over a hundred years, and it has been enjoying a resurgence over the last decade that is empowering athletes of all genders and abilities.  Flat track roller derby is a full contact team sport that requires endurance, strength, agility, strategy, and tenacity. During a game governed by the current rules, five skaters from two teams skate counter-clockwise on an oval track for up to two minutes, earning points as their designated scoring player laps members of the opposing team. These two-minute segments are repeated throughout the game to fill two thirty-minute halves. Flat track roller derby, the type played by MRD, evolved from banked-track roller derby in 2001 and has quickly grown to encompass hundreds of leagues worldwide.

The league is governed by an all-female Board of Directors. Throughout its 10-year history, this all-volunteer organization has fostered the professional, personal, and athletic skill development of its league members by maintaining a competitive athletic program, promoting the sport of roller derby, and making a positive impact in our community. As the state’s oldest and largest roller derby league, MRD is an important leader among other leagues in the state and in the region. Read more about us here.

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