Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Pits Blondes v. Brunettes

Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Pits Blondes v. Brunettes

The third annual Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football game — to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association — is fast approaching, and the competition to out-fund-raise the opposing hair color has grown intense. The idea to raise money for Alzheimer’s research by pitting Blondes against Brunettes began in Washington, D.C., in 2005 and has since spread to some 35 cities, including Middleton/Madison, which had its first game in 2013. Competitors in the bouts are often relatives of Alzheimer’s sufferers, and not all are blondes or brunettes: “Redheads are free agents!” says the website. So far, the blondes have raised almost $9,000, and the…

The third annual Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football game — to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association — is fast approaching, and the competition to out-fund-raise the opposing hair color has grown intense. The idea to raise money for Alzheimer’s research by pitting Blondes against Brunettes began in Washington, D.C., in 2005 and has since spread to some 35 cities, including Middleton/Madison, which had its first game in 2013. Competitors in the bouts are often relatives of Alzheimer’s sufferers, and not all are blondes or brunettes: “Redheads are free agents!” says the website.

So far, the blondes have raised almost $9,000, and the brunettes about $7,000. Participants, now numbering greater than 70, are chasing an overall goal of $50,000. The game itself, “based on the age-old rivalry between blondes and brunettes,” kicks off a 1 p.m. on May 3.

   

   

Matt has written for Milwaukee Magazine since 2006, when he was a lowly intern. Since then, he’s held the posts of assistant news editor and, most recently, senior editor. He’s lived in South Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Iowa, and Indiana but mostly in Wisconsin. He wants to do more fishing but has a hard time finding worms. For the magazine, Matt has written about city government, schools, religion, coffee roasters and Congress.