By Amanda Malnik

On Saturday, March 7, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Oak Hall School, in conjunction with Gainesville’s Chain Reaction Youth Leadership Council, is hosting a human foosball tournament aptly named “Ballin’ for Babies”, to raise money for the March of Dimes. 

The rules for human foosball are just like the table version, minus the fact that human foosball players hold onto a pole to move instead of using a pole to guide players on a table. Teams of six to eight players compete against each other in an arena, and like the table version, human foosball players can only move from side to side, not front to back. Each player has their own position on the pole so they can shift around, but any player’s hands must be on the bar at all times! 

This year, one of the main food vendors is The Bagel Bakery. The sponsors supporting the event are weFooz, Studio 32 Orthodontics, Balance 180, Apple Time, Bird Rack Realty, Waldorff Insurance & Bonding, Gainesville Health and Fitness, Dragonfly Graphics, IMPACT Weight Management, and Share Skincare Solutions. Some sponsors will have booths to visit with merchandise and information to share.

“The event was a huge success last year…we had more teams than we anticipated show up at the door and it was a very fun day with some tough competition,” said Katie Marshall, the President of Chain Reaction. With the help of all of the sponsors and attendees, the event last year raised more than $1300. Admission as a player, which comes with a t-shirt, costs $15, and food is $5. A spectator ticket costs $10.  

To register as a player or volunteer, please visit: https://wefooz.redpodium.com/balling-for-babies