The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Mudstock ‘09: Getting down and dirty for a good cause

DPO honors Abraham Lincoln bicentennial with concert
11/6/09
Nearby big cities offer a boatload of possibilities
11/6/09
Three nights of garlic at The Winds
11/5/09
Trustees donate land for new park
11/5/09
Son de Madera brings rich dance music to UD
11/5/09
> More headlines

By Brittney Hunn, Staff Writer Updated 5:50 PM Monday, July 13, 2009

You don’t often get the chance to see thousands of people covered in mud.

This weekend, you have that chance.

Some 5,000 people are expected to either get dirty or watch others get dirty during Mudstock’09, an annual mud volleyball tournament to benefit epilepsy research and treatment.

“This is a unique event,” said Janine Poppa, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio. “There’s none other like it.”

Gates open for Mudstock at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, at 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. behind Wegerzyn Garden Center in Dayton. Games begin at 9 a.m. and run throughout the day into the evening.

Mudstock is the largest and most popular event by the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio. Here’s how it works: 238 teams, non-competitive and competitive, are registered to play in seven divisions for a championship title, trophy, bragging rights and of course to help a good cause. Live bands will be playing, and vendors selling food and drinks will be around all day.

The event, in its 19th year, attracts all from neurologists and lawyers to teens and epilepsy patients themselves. Ages vary.

“You can look around and see everybody laughing and smiling, having fun,” Poppa said.

The Epilepsy Foundation’s mission is to prevent, control and cure epilepsy, a condition in which a person has two or more seizures without a clear cause, through research, education and services, according to the foundation’s Web site.

Mudstock is still accepting sponsors, volunteers and donations — and committee members are wanted for next year’s event.

A limited number of spots are still available for teams. Registration with a fee of $375 per team is required to play. Each team may include up to 10 players, and the team must be co-ed with at least two of each gender playing on the court at all times. The registration fee includes T-shirts for each player.

If you’re not playing, you can still come and watch. $5 donations will be accepted at the door.

To learn more, visit www.daytonmud.com or call the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio at (937) 233-2500.

Share this article