Powder puff. The words bring to mind images of sugary confections and soft fluffy things. Tell that to these dedicated, hard working young women. Now in its seventh year, Blondes vs. Brunettes DC has raised over $350,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter. Motivated by personal experience, philanthropy and maybe a little love for our nation’s sport, these young women come back year-after-year to join in the search for a cure. The annual flag football match is the conclusion to a rigorous round of training and fundraising. This year’s game is Saturday, November 12th, so come out and cheer on your favorite team. The Blondes will be trying for their second win and the Brunettes hope to chalk up their sixth. No matter which side wins, we all do when these ladies take to the field. To prepare you for game day, meet some of the players.
Team Brunette
Kristen Murdock, Team Brunette
Kristen Murdock
Age:
29
Profession: Officer, U.S. Navy
How long have you been involved with BvB? Three years
What position do you play? Linebacker/Corner
What prompted you to get involved in BvB? My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s after she was brutally attacked in her apartment building. She fought the disease for almost 10 years before succumbing to it while I was on deployment to Afghanistan. I saw the toll it took on my mother and my family, and was amazed at how strong she was through it all.
How has this impacted your life? I miss my grandmother, every day. I wish I had the opportunity to say goodbye to her, but being active in BvB and making people more aware of Alzheimer’s and the mission of the association is my tribute to her.
Has it motivated you to get involved in your community in other ways? I’m moving to California after this season, and my goal is to start a San Diego chapter of BvB. I’m looking forward to helping the chapter there be as successful as we have here in DC.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? I’ve made some of my best friends from the team. Everyone knows someone who has been touched by Alzheimer’s, and it is a great support network. We’re all here for each other, and not just come game day in November.
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? I was a varsity cheerleader in college, and have played in local coed football leagues.
Are you a natural brunette? Not since I’ve gotten older!
Molly McGlynn, Team Brunette
Molly McGlynn
Age: 28
Profession: Director of Resource Development at LVH Consulting
How long have you been involved with BvB? This is my second year.
What position do you play? Tight End
What prompted you to get involved in BvB? I had a friend who had played on Team Blonde. I learned about BvB’s mission and saw what a great experience she had and wanted to get involved.
How has this impacted your life? Before joining BvB, I like many people our age, did not know a lot about Alzheimer’s. To many it’s just “an old persons disease.” Now I’m an advocate for the cause. This isn’t something that just affects people your grandparents age. There are over 200K people currently living with early onset. It’s also not just something affecting those diagnosed. This disease impacts everyone who loves that person. When you hear some of the stories from women on our team it makes you want to fight harder, to raise more money and to talk to and educate people you meet. There is a girl on our team whose mother is battling this disease. Her story pushes me every day.
Has it motivated you to get involved in your community in other ways? BvB has made me want to do more to help the Alzheimer’s Association. As a team you will often find us at happy hour throughout the year wondering “What else can we do?” We may not cure Alzheimer’s by playing a football game, but every dollar we raise helps a family in the DC/Metro region or helps fund another study.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? I love Team Brunette because we are more like a family than we are a team. I’ve gotten to know some of the most beautiful, inspiring and passionate group of women living in DC. We don’t just come together during the three months of our BvB season, it’s a year-round thing for us! These women have become some of my best friends. Playing on this team is one of the biggest time commitments we make, but in the end it’s been the most worthwhile thing I’ve done since moving here.
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? I’ve played soccer my entire life. I was a cheerleader in high school and coached the team after I graduated college.
Are you a natural brunette? Absolutely! I’ve been on the *Dark Side* my entire life!
Maria Burton, Team Brunette
Maria Burton
Age: 27
Profession: Account Executive
How long have you been involved with BvB? Four years
What position do you play? Linebacker
What prompted you to get involved in BvB? When I returned to the DC area after graduating from the University of Florida (GO GATORS!), the two aspects of school that I missed most were playing on sports teams and involvement in philanthropy. At UF I volunteered with Hospice and was matched with a woman who suffered from Alzheimer’s. Visiting with her once or twice a week left a soft spot in my heart for the disease and a new understanding of how Alzheimer’s impacts the entire family. My childhood best friend and I stumbled upon BvB when looking for an all girls flag football league. It was the perfect blend of the competitive team environment and contribution to a cause where every penny raised goes directly to a disease that had become so near and dear to me.
How has this impacted your life? You should be asking how this has impacted the lives of everyone around me! My parents, co-workers and friends have been so generous with their donations. They look forward to the game and after-party now and plan their November around it. Through raising money and awareness for the cause, I’ve learned just how many people in my life have been affected by Alzheimer’s. The stories they tell keep me committed and motivated to further growing the organization and the event and I couldn’t be more excited and driven to give them a great game in November! I even recruited my sister to play last year and made this truly a family event.
Has it motivated you to get involved in your community in other ways? I think more than anything, BvB is a constant reminder that a small group of dedicated individuals truly can make an impact. No effort is too small, but the sky really is the limit.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? I love to get out there and leave it all on the field both at practice and in the game. I have become a student of the game; my Library is full of books and dvds about coaching, defensive schemes and training techniques. I love that every year we work hard to break out of our comfort zone and exceed our preconceived limits. Sports as a metaphor for life…who woulda thought?
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? Over the last four years, I’ve participated in just about every event you could think of! They just keep getting better and better.
Are you a natural brunette? Of course!! My Mom didn’t even let us play with blonde Barbies…I’m not kidding.
Erica Butts
Age: 24
Profession: Account Director, Corporate Executive Board
How long have you been involved with BvB? Three years
What position do you play? Receiver
What prompted you to get involved in BvB? I moved to DC three years ago and didn’t know anyone in the city. When I learned about BvB I thought it would be a great way to get involved in the community, meet an awesome group of girls and support a great cause.
How has this impacted your life? BvB is now an integral part of my life. All year I look forward to the fall – not because of professional or college football, but because of BvB. I have been so inspired by the stories of teammates who have family members affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Has it motivated you to get involved in your community in other ways? After learning what it takes to raise money and host events for BvB, I am more inspired to give back to donate and participate in other charitable events that happen throughout DC.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? PRACTICE!
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? Multiple happy hour fundraisers, winery tours and after-practice drinks!
Are you a natural brunette? YES!
Connie Kemper
Age: 29
Profession: Scheduler, Senate Sergeant at Arms (Senate Security)
How long have you been involved with BvB? Four years
What position do you play? This year I am not an active player; I’m serving as Player Relations Chair on the Executive Board. I have played on defense in years past (well, the years I have not had broken fingers!)
What prompted you to get involved in BvB? It is just the perfect mix of many differing aspects. My grandfather had dementia in the twilight years of his life, so I am very sensitive to the toll that these kinds of ailments have on a family and wanted to help in the means toward a cure. My fellow participants are all outgoing and charitable, but also athletic and even a bit tomboyish; a dichotomy I very much enjoy in my own personal life. It was an easy commitment to make.
How has this impacted your life? The girls and coaches I have met through this event have honestly become a family to me. Because the level of commitment the event requires is so great, we really see each other through disappointments and frustrations, victories and triumphs, injuries, outside successes, and even of late, engagements and weddings! We all just really have such a great respect for one another and for each person’s dedication, athletic abilities, philanthropy and ability to balance work and sport, way past the final whistle of the game.
Has it motivated you to get involved in your community in other ways? It definitely raises the bar for other activities I commit to, but mostly in the sense that I want to bring the same kind of energy and dedication that I’ve found with BvB to other organizations. What’s also great is that when you join BvB, you also have a whole new pool of interested and involved networks that you know will support you in all of your other pursuits. We are very dedicated to supporting each other even outside of BvB events.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? At the end of the day, the cause is what brought us together, but the friendships are what keep us here. Make no mistake about it, being a member of BvB is a huge personal and physical commitment. We practice from August to November, so we play in the intense heat, but also in the cold, in the rain, in the dark, we have to trek out to fields beyond the city limits, after work, on weekends hungover, with injuries and illnesses. If it wasn’t for a good cause amongst good people, there would be no BvB. But my girls really are why I come back day after day.
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? This year I have honestly had more limited involvement, but I have both hosted and attended many group fundraisers, team dinners, game watches, even drag race spectating!
Are you a natural brunette? Ha, well I’m Asian, so I guess it would be weird if I wasn’t!
The Blondes
Adair Hendrickson, Team Blonde
Adair Hendrickson
Age:
27
How long have you been involved with BvB? Four years
What position do you play? Defensive Line
What prompted you to get involved in BvB? A friend of mine suggested we play, and although I wasn’t sure what I got myself into, this has been one of the best experiences of my life. I remain involved because every year someone I know has a family member affected by this disease, and I know that together we can make a difference.
How has this impacted your life? Not only have I met some of my best friends through this organization, but I have truly become more aware of how widespread this disease is. I look forward to BvB every year because I know that the money I’m raising will help make a difference in fighting this disease, and I love being part of a team again. The girls involved with this charity are so incredibly giving and selfless when it comes to their time and commitment to this cause that I count myself lucky to know and work with them. Everyone has a personal story, and each girl does what she can to fight this disease that hurts so many.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? Being able to make a difference for a cause that has become very important to me.
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? Lots of fundraisers.
Are you a natural blonde? Yes!
Caitlin Meslar, Team Blonde
Caitlin Meslar
Age:
22
Profession: Sports Marketing/Communications Professional. Currently working for the Washington Nationals.
Rookie season position: Wide Receiver
What prompted you to get involved? I joined BvB in support of my two grandmothers who struggle with the disease. The reality that my Nanny Meslar was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s hit home hard when she no longer remembered her favorite recipe “Nanny’s Cake” and didn’t recognize me as her granddaughter, but yet another nice stranger giving her a very welcoming hello. Years ago I started volunteering and assisting my sisters with Blondes v. Brunettes DC Chapter and Chicago, as well as my brothers’ Goals For Good Alzheimer’s lacrosse game. This made me realize how one person can impact a community and I started volunteering for the Special Olympics Championship games while attending college in New Jersey.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? My favorite part of being on this team is having a sense of unity in the fight for a common cause.
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? Working for the Nationals I haven’t been able to participate in many team events due to games, but now that the season has ended I have started to get my game face on and participate in “blonding” to get to know the girls on and off the field.
Are you a natural Blonde? Yes!! I am proud to say I am a natural blonde, however I do use Sun-In in the summer-time to enhance my highlights.
Landy Elliott, Team Blonde
Landy Elliott
Age:
29
Profession: Assistant Director of Federal Relations for Duke University
Rookie season position: Receiver
What prompted you to get involved? I initially joined for the football. I’m competitive and love to be active – the fact it was for a good cause was a bonus.
How has this impacted your life? Once I started raising the money required, I discovered that I am more connected to Alzheimer’s than I ever imagined. I had no idea that so many people I know have been impacted by the disease. I received an incredibly moving email from a complete stranger who had seen a blog post I wrote about my participation in BvB – it really blew me away. I went from having no connection to Alzheimer’s to reflecting on it daily. Here’s the email:
“Landy - Frank is 77 years old and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s around February of this year. I sent his name in for you to play for and pray for to get well. He is having difficulty remembering and walking. I will be praying for you and others in your task to help. I appreciate what you folks are doing. Frank and I have a lot in common because we are the same person. – Frank”
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? Aside from knowing the positive impact we’re making? Meeting so many accomplished and fun women – the team camaraderie is awesome. And learning the difference between a slant and a post route doesn’t hurt either…
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? Let’s see, I’ve gone to a draft party, a few team “blonding” nights (bonding with team blonde of course) and a Monday Night Football fundraiser.
Are you a natural blonde? A lady never tells.
Heather Darazs, Team Blonde
Heather Darazs
Age:
24
Profession: Graphic Designer
How long have you been involved with BvB? Two years
What position do you play? Rusher/Captain
What prompted you to get involved? Throughout high school and college I strived to volunteer in the community as much as I could. After recently moving to DC, I wanted to continue my charitable efforts but had no idea where to begin. Being introduced to BvB has not only provided me with the opportunity to give back to the community, but has also given me a cause that I am now immensely passionate about.
How has this impacted your life? Being involved with BvB has opened my eyes to the harsh reality that is the Alzheimer’s disease. Hearing stories of personal loss from my teammates has made me realize just how many people this disease affects and that we need to work harder to help find a cure. Seeing the pain this disease has caused has made me extremely passionate about Alzheimer’s awareness and has motivated me to aid in the fight for years to come.
Has it motivated you to get involved in your community in other ways? Being involved in BvB has reminded me just how much of an impact we can each have on our community and its residents. Since joining BvB, I have also joined the Madison, a service and social young women’s organization. Through the Madison, I have been able to volunteer countless times, my favorite being our recent trip to the Children’s hospital. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to give back to the community that already gives so much to you.
What’s your favorite thing about being involved in this team? My favorite thing about being involved with Team Blonde is getting to know the amazing young women. It is through this organization that I have developed several of my best friendships in DC. The women that I play with are truly an inspiration to be around day-in and day-out. Not only are their charitable efforts admirable, but they are some of the sweetest, most down-to-earth girls you could meet. It has been an honor playing with these young women, and I look forward to our friendships growing through each year of BvB!
What sort of team events have you participated in (if any)? I have participated in team fundraisers at local restaurants and bars, our BvB Calendar shoot, as well as our weekly “Team Blonding” (our version of “team bonding”) in which we all meet after practice to go out for a drink or watch our favorite sports teams!
Are you a natural blonde? I was until the age of ten…(if that counts for anything!)
Don’t miss the 7th Annual Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football game, November 12th at George Washington University Mount Vernon Athletic Complex: 2100 Foxhall Rd. NW, DC. Kick-off at 2:00 p.m., tickets can be purchased for $25.00 at www.blondesvsbrunettes.org. When you purchase, you can designate which team you are supporting and make additional donations.
