When State College Area Roller Derby opens its competitive season this weekend, the league will honor a founding member who passed away earlier this month.
Rachel Gaddis, 38, of Spring Mills, died in a utility terrain vehicle rollover crash on April 1 in Clinton County. Gaddis, who went by the skater name “Blackout Betty,” helped to found State College Area Roller (SCAR) Derby in 2010 and took over as head coach in 2016.
In a Facebook post the day after her death, the league credited her with helping the nonprofit flat-track derby organization grow and keeping it afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Betty’s passion for derby was evident not only in her league leadership but also in the way that she made sure there was a space for everyone on the track,” the post stated. “She was an absolute force and roller derby was her biggest passion (besides her chickens, and tubing, and rugby, and celebrating people). Her legacy is not just the league she helmed for the past decade, but the countless number of people she molded into the players they are today.”
SCAR Derby will take on Enchanted Mountain Roller Derby at 5 p.m. on Saturday at C3 Sports, 200 Ellis Place, State College. A dedication ceremony for Gaddis will follow.
All proceeds from the game will go toward the Betty Fund, a scholarship being created in honor of Gaddis that will “help reduce the barrier of entry for skaters joining roller derby,” according to a news release. Donations to the fund will be accepted at the game as well.
Fans also are encouraged to wear black in Blackout Betty’s honor.
The game will be SCAR Derby’s first official Women’s Flat Track Derby Association rankings game since 2019.
“SCAR Derby has not played a game for rankings since 2019! Betty loved nothing more than fierce competition, and we could not think of a better way to honor her competitive spirit and love for roller derby than by returning SCAR to the international rankings,” skater “Taylor so Swifty” said in the release.
Tickets are $10 for individuals age 11 and older and can be purchased in advance online, or at the door with cash or credit card. Admission is free for children 10 and younger.
Bleachers and folding chairs are available for seating, and fans may bring their own chairs. Front row seating is for ages 18 and older.
