PORT ANGELES — Twelve teams from Port Angeles will go to inordinate lengths to raise money for United Way of Clallam County.
The Outrageous Olympics, will feature a variety of exciting and unusual games with teams from nearly every sector of Port Angeles competing.
The event will be held at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St., at 6 p.m. on Friday.
The games began four years ago as a way to provide a competitive edge to fundraising, said Port Angeles Fire Chief Dan McKeen, who is the United Way campaign chair this year.
Last year’s Outrageous Olymics raised $3,350.90 for United Way.
“This is an event where there is so much enthusiasm to give back to the community,” said Jamye Wisecup, program coordinator for Clallam County Emergency Management, United Way board member and event organizer.
The event was concocted not only to raise money for United Way’s general fund, which helps all 25 partner organizations, but also to raise awareness of the organization, which distributes funds to nonprofits throughout Clallam County, McKeen said.
Community as 12th man
The 12 teams are already signed up and registered, but the community is welcomed to attend and participate in the 12th man challenge.
“Something that grew out of this in the very first year was the 12th man competition,” McKeen said, referring to the football concept of the fan, or 12th man, supporting the 11 players on the field.
“Those attending can ‘vote’ for their favorite team by putting coins or dollar bills or even checks in a bucket for their team, and then we total it up and the team with the most wins that competition.”
A barbecue, available by donation, will also entice fans to hang out.
Another way for teams to add to the bucket is through bribes — the teams began baiting the judges with bribes in the first year to help them win the bizarre contests.
“Sometimes it is hard to tell which one actually is the best design — the judges need a little help,” Wisecup said.
The bribing and the 12th man donations in 2009 added up to nearly as much as the entry fees.
With a $200 per team entry fee, the fundraiser already has $2,400 in the bucket, Wisecup said.
Chaos among the games
This year, the games include sweeping a whiffle ball around cones, texting the fastest and “Communication Chaos.”
In “Communication Chaos,” one team member gives instructions to another on how to build a structure with Legos.
However, they cannot look at the other, the one giving instructions cannot see the structure or the progress being made, and the one doing the building doesn’t know what he or she is attempting to build.
All teams will participate in six games, and then a playoff series of games will determine the winner, said Karen Brown, event coordinator.
“Next year, we hope to add another four teams,” she said.
“We want to keep expanding to help raise more for United Way.”
The teams this year include the returning champions, Code Blue, the volunteer firefighters of Port Angeles Fire Department and Clallam County Fire District No. 2.
Other teams include:
• Boy Scouts.
• City Slickers — City of Port Angeles employees.
• Crew for the Caws — Green Crow employees.
• OMC Outbreak — Olympic Medical Center.
• Powerful Utility Divas — Clallam County Public Utility District.
• Roughriders — Port Angeles High School students.
• Team Disaster — Olympic Medical Center.
• Team Methner — Steve and Sarah Methner and family.
• The YMCA — Clallam County Family YMCA.
• Un-Tied Way — United Way.
• Wild Wild Westport — Westport employees.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.