In what has become a tradition for Eden Prairie High School’s DECA chapter, the organization will host its annual Powderpuff fundraising game for charity Monday night at Aerie Stadium.
The DECA chapter has hosted Powderpuff, a nickname for girls’ flag football, for more than a decade, with proceeds going to a charity of its choice.
This year, Powderpuff will support True Friends, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that provides camps and travel experiences for children and adults with disabilities. The organization serves more than 25,000 people annually and operates several sites, including Camp Eden Wood in Eden Prairie.
Powderpuff begins at 7 p.m. Monday at Aerie Stadium, with kickoff set for 7:05. The underclassmen play first, followed by a performance from Central Middle School’s dance team, before the upperclassmen game wraps up the night. Senior Jia Chenchlani, a vice president of competitive events for the DECA chapter, said about 145 students are participating this year, roughly 50 from each grade.
DECA is a nonprofit student organization that prepares members for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Chenchlani said the Eden Prairie chapter is currently ranked as the top chapter in the world.
Chenchlani said the group’s process for picking a charity to support is holistic, usually focusing on organizations with a personal connection and a financial need.
“We picked True Friends because one of our chapter projects that competes with it is doing a community giving project towards True Friends, and they really focus on disabilities,” Chenchlani said. “They pitched it to us, and True Friends was super willing and open to partner with us.”
There is no set fundraising target for True Friends this year, according to Chenchlani, but she said a broad goal they have is raising anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000.
“If nothing else, we at least want to be able to give (True Friends) a few thousand dollars because this event has been such a big deal, and they’ve been such a big part of it that I think it would be really, really great to give back,” Chenchlani said.
The event will also have concessions and a raffle for six baskets, with proceeds going to True Friends. Baskets include items from Patina, a DECA-themed basket, an Eden Prairie Schools basket and a “foodie” basket. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the game or from student sellers this weekend for $5, cash only.
Chenchlani said events like Powderpuff are important not only for raising money but also for showing that students can make a difference in their communities.
“I think it’s so important to tell students and tell community members that you don’t have to be at a high standing or have a lot of authority to pull something like this off,” Chenchlani said.
DECA encourages donations to True Friends through its GoFundMe page.
Tickets for Powderpuff are $6 online or $5 at the door, cash only. Buy tickets online through GoFan.
