TLDR; The Peninsula Roller Girls are bringing roller derby to Millbrae and we couldn’t be more excited!
As many of you know, the Peninsula Roller Girls lost our home of 6 years – the Redwood Roller Rink – this September, just before our final bout of the season. We’ve been fortunate to have found love and support from some of the local businesses in Redwood City (we’re lookin’ at you, ObstaCourse and SportsHouse!), but we’ve been having trouble finding the right space to use as our permanent venue for on-skates practices.
Two nights ago, the league attended the Millbrae Parks and Recreation Council meeting, to speak to them about the possibility of using the isolated single tennis court on Lincoln Circle. We got the opportunity to witness local governance in action – and it was AMAZING!
From the moment we met them, it was clear that Millbrae’s Parks and Recreation council cares deeply about the community it serves. Since the loss of the Millbrae Community Center to a terrible fire in 2016, the council has been looking for ways to continue offering recreational opportunities to community members, with reduced facilities.
As many of you are aware, PRG has a thriving junior derby program, in addition to our boot camps, and adult league. We believe strongly in the power of roller skates to bring together people of all ages for learning, growth, empowerment, and – most importantly – fun. We saw a strong match with the Parks & Rec Council’s goals and we’re overjoyed that they felt the same.
We’re beginning our relationship with the community of Millbrae on a trial basis. PRG will start by taking steps to light and soundproof the tennis courts in a way that will allow us to practice without disturbing the neighborhood. We will then hold practices there for the month of January, before returning to reevaluate the partnership with the Parks & Rec Council.
We can’t iterate enough how grateful we are to Millbrae’s Parks & Rec Council for giving us the chance to show them how derby can bring a community together. And if you’ve been on the fence about trying it out, maybe because Redwood City was a touch too far away, now is the perfect opportunity to get involved!.
We’ll leave you with a few words from our skaters:
“Perhaps Leslie Knope taught me to romanticize local governance and sisterhood in Parks & Rec-related activities, but when Julie Turner closed her motion with “Roll On!” I knew we’d found a great community to call home. It was exciting to watch local governance in action - and to watch our juniors watch local governance in action - and when they said yes I really felt like I was part of something special. Thanks Millbrae!”
“This was a very special night for everyone, but a few of us seasoned vets got emotional. A new home, a new chapter, and an opportunity to keep this incredible league going strong. We’re excited about our new community!”
“I’m quite literally thrilled at our hopeful future as a part of the Millbrae community! As we discussed the pilot program during the meeting, it was evident that the council has the best interests of Millbrae at heart—and that they believe in Peninsula Roller Girls’ potential as a positive influence. I’m so thankful that PRG has been given this opportunity, and look forward to our league collaborating with the City of Millbrae to creating an empowering space for the community!”
“It was amazing to see the PRG family come out in force to represent our league. It was a physical representation of how much roller derby means us, and the community we can bring to Millbrae. I’m very much looking forward to this partnership with the Millbrae community!”