Girly-Girl Cleats Up For a Cause
I spent the first 22 years of my life actively avoiding sports. It wasn’t until I signed up for the Blondes vs. Brunettes powder-puff football game last year, all for the sake of a column in Park Cities People, that I fell in love with the idea of playing sports.
It’s true — I’ve traded my Christian Louboutins for a pair of Nike cleats (boys’ size four-and-a-half, thank you) and joined not only a few flag football teams, but also a kickball team and a softball team. But my favorite team will always be the Brunette “Bru” Crew in BvB, where we play for an amazing cause — raising money to find a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.
This year there was a bit of a debate over which team I’d be playing for — as of six weeks ago, I was sporting honey-blonde hair and wondering if I would have to switch teams this year. But for many reasons, I went back to my roots, and will be returning as a cornerback for the Brunette “Bru” Crew. I’d also like to add, from personal experience — blondes don’t have more fun.
We’ve been working on and off the field to reach our goal — no, it’s not to win, though that’d be great — but to raise $400,000 for Alzheimer’s research, treatment, and awareness. This year I am playing to honor my maternal grandmother, Mertie “G.G.” Goss, and the Tims family. My grandmother survived both breast and pancreatic cancer, only to pass away in 2010 after suffering from dementia.
The matriarch of the Tims family, Kathy, is currently battling early-onset dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease has affected 75 percent of BvB participants, and our collected experiences ignite my passion for the nonprofit.
While last year’s practices were filled with loads of follies (think jammed fingers and bruises, plus a lot of sore muscles and learning what a “blitz” is), this season I’ve been getting serious — which means I’ve been lacing up my cleats, working on my cardio, and attempting to practice interceptions. I’ve got a good feeling about this year — it’s time for the Bru Crew to bring home the win.
If you’d like to come out to the game (and I don’t know why you wouldn’t — it’s girls playing football for a great cause, people), this year we will be playing at the Cotton Bowl on Aug. 16. Yes, we’re a pretty big deal.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m., and tickets are $25 each. You can purchase them at bvbdallas.org or on my fundraising page, active.com/donate/bvbdallas/margauxanbouba2014. Look for me on the field — I’ll be the girl in blue.
