At the start of 2020, we at Gotham were looking forward to the challenges and changes that the new year had in store for our organization. As we entered our seventeenth season of roller derby, we were tasked with addressing the needs of our growing league and community. This fall marked our tenth year in our practice space — our “Crash Pad” — and we were faced with the decision to renew our lease or find a bigger space that would allow for expansion.
When the pandemic struck and New York City became the epicenter this spring, we immediately stopped our in-person programming. Due to the impact of COVID-19, we’ve lost nearly all of our main income streams and, with the phased reopening of the city, we do not yet know when we’ll be able to return to contact roller derby. Given this lack of clarity around when we’ll be able to begin generating revenue again, we have made the difficult but fiscally responsible decision not to renew our lease or sign a new lease on a space at this time.
Gotham is a 501c3 non-profit organization with the mission of fostering personal, mental and physical strength through collaboration, inclusiveness and community-building while representing New York City in athletic excellence. In the years since our league’s founding, this is not the first time we’ve been without a dedicated space. The spirit of Gotham, our love of our community and for the sport of roller derby will always transcend physical location.
We exist whether or not we have a permanent space. In the short or immediate term, we will continue to offer digital programming through our Twitch channel and updates on our social media. With our newly created Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, we will use this time to address diversity and inclusion issues in our league and community.
To address our needs during this time, our league leadership has developed a three-phase strategic plan to help us survive, then revive, and thrive, while focusing on the key pillars of capital, community, and communication, from which we will emerge stronger, financially stable, and a more connected community.
Elements of this plan include:
Offering virtual programming and in-person skating programming, when it’s permissible to do so, following the science-based return to play guidelines set forth by the WFTDA, the governing body of the sport, along with abiding by local city and state guidelines.
Establishing and implementing much-needed change through diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
Finding opportunities to partner with the wider New York City skating community
Building connections with leadership in other roller derby leagues and non-profit organizations
Creating new revenue streams and ensuring sustainable funding sources
Moving into a new permanent space by January 2022
We are so grateful for all of the support we’ve received from our league and the wider community during this challenging time. As a 501c3 non-profit, we welcome tax-deductible donations to continue our operations and providing support to our members. If you are interested in partnering with, donating to, sponsoring, or volunteering for Gotham, you can contact info@ggrd.nyc.
For more information about our organization, check out this website, sign up for our newsletter at the top right of this page, and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/gothamderby and Twitter at https://twitter.com/gothamderby.
We can’t wait until we can be hard, smart and together again, in person.
