Houston celebrities are teaming up in a friendly competition to raise money for prominent Houston charities during the Ultimate Most Dopest Dodgeball Charity Challenge.
Hosted by former MLS player and Houston’s own, Brian Ching, the dodgeball event will take place Saturday, April 24 from 1 PM to 4 PM at Pitch 25 (2120 Walker, Houston, TX 77003).
According to an official event statement, “The pandemic has slowed fundraising for so many organizations over the past year, and limited the number of people they can help.”
In these challenging times, four Houston celebrities decided to come together to raise money for a cause and to have some fun while doing it. They include the team captains Houston Texans’ Whitney Mercilus, Houston Texans’ Justin Reid, “Original Texan” Chester Pitts and DJ Big Reek.
Mercilus is representing the WithMerci Foundation which provides advocate services and support to families of children with disabilities and special needs. Reid will be throwing balls for Kids Meals Houston, and organization that since 2006, has been making and delivering free, healthy meals directly to the homes of hungry children. Kids Meals Houston is a first-responder to children under age 6 facing debilitating hunger due to extreme poverty.
Pitts will be leading the way for Carson Parke, an organization that provides long-term residential treatment to girls ages 12 to 17 with serious to severe emotional and behavioral problems from all backgrounds, including low-income families. DJ Big Reeks will be representing Mission of Yahweh, a faith-based shelter that has been empowering, enriching and restoring the lives of homeless women and children and providing outreach services to low-income communities since 1961.
Each captain has put together their “dopest” team of 10 to play for the trophy. Each captain has recruited their celebrity friends and charity patrons. Winners from each match will move on to determine who plays in the final round to be crowned the Ultimate Most Dopest Dodgeball Champion.
Other celebrities who have joined the cause include gold medalist and Olympic star Simone Biles, Houston Texans Jonathan Owens and Houston Texans David Johnson representing Team J. Reid. NFL Legend Andre Johnson, former Texans Travis Johnson, Cecil Shorts III and J.J. Moses will come to join the competition with their former teammate Original Texan Chester Pitts.
Entertainer Paul Wall and reality television star from OWN’s Ready to Love, Christian Pope will join forces with celebrity deejay, DJ Big Reeks. Actor and Comedian Jeff Shelley, Houston Texans’ Jon Weeks, Ka’imi Fairbairn and Jacob Martin will join their teammate Houston Texans’ Whitney Mercilus.
Each team is being supported by local Houston companies. Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is supporting Team J. Reid (Kids Meals Houston); Superior Plumbing Solutions is supporting Team CPII (Carson Parke); The Hotaling Insurance Services is supporting Team Whit (The WithMerci Foundation); The Breakfast Klub and Reggae Hut are supporting Team Reeks (The Mission of Yahweh). Tickets are only $15 for spectators. Sponsorship opportunities are available as well by visiting www.withmerci.org.