When Crossroads City Derby received notice from Las Cruces District 1 City Councilor Miguel Silva that a few volunteers were needed for Avenue Art, New Mexico’s Premiere Street Painting event, we gathered some handy dandy derby athletes to be at the Downtown Mall first thing in the morning Saturday, April 28, 2012. Our task was to put up shade tents to protect event artists from baking in the southern New Mexico sun. Cruces Criplher, Lady Longlegs, Apache Starr, Livin’ Ya Nightmare, and General Grant Slam of CCD and Red Devil and Slam-I-Am of Minor Threat Junior Roller Derby showed up right on time to find the event coordinators had arrived about an hour before the planned meet time and put up the tents. They had a burst of energy and got an early start. This, however, did not deter us from our itch to volunteer.
It took us a bit to find something else to do, but it turned out there were a few tasks to help with including; zip tying artist/sponsor signs to tents, distributing small rugs to protect the artists’ skin from the asphalt canvas, distributing spray bottles for use on the art work, and handing out water bottles and breakfast burritos. One of CCD’s injured skaters, Apache Starr, got in on the volunteering action by handing out chalk and helping at the sign-in table.
CCDers stuck around for a bit to enjoy the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafters Market offerings including delicious coffee and lemonade. Skaters returned later to take down the shade tents and found the previously blank street covered in square after square of beautiful works of chalk art. Many of the artists worked for about 7 hours on their pieces.
During the event CCDers had a chance to work with award-winning street painter Bob Diven and local derby bout constant Russ Smith of Happy Dog. Cruces Criplher took the opportunity to make our league’s presence in and support for our community known by drawing “Crossroads City Derby” 20 feet long and 2 feet high near the check-in tent.
-General Grant Slam, #5