Youth First Texas threw water balloons and kicked some serious butt during LifeWalk’s Heatwave Waterpalooza! What could possibly be better than raising funds for AIDS Arms Inc., supporting  HIV positive men, women, and children of North Texas?

The object of the game was simple: in a team of 5, eliminate the other team without getting hit! For a full list of the rules, hit up LifeWalk’s official web page.

Our first team was YFT’s ‘Wet Behind the Ears,’ which was the volunteer team (guest starring iLead Team member Giancarlo Mossi). They took 5th place.

Jason Minter, the team captain, took out the most players with deadly power–this raging dodgeball machine survived the game without once being hit. Kenny Schreiber and Jim Hampton were the other two powerhouses of the team.

Father and Son, Loras Freihoeffer and Giancarlo Mossi, were a great asset to the team. Giancarlo with his natural athleticism provided the team with an edge, despite being the youngest member. Loras Freihoefer definitely caught the most balls of the team! Boasting a success rate of 33.3%, the highest of all players, Loras racked up kills for the team.

Jason admitted he was more of the cheerleader (or queerleader, as we like to call them) for Youth First Texas during the tournament, despite his skills as one of the valuable players. “They did a very good job. I felt sorry because [Giancarlo and Squee] were sick. I thought Hai was going to jump out of his skin, he was so hyper. I didn’t care if we won or lost – I just wanted to make sure [we] had fun.” Well said, team captain!

Our second team was the ‘YFT Youngsters’ composed entirely of the youth. These “Youngsters”–with their vicious vivaciousness–demonstrated YFT’s ferocity, nabbing 2nd place!

Jesus Montelongo and Hai Duong were the nimble “glass cannons” of the team, executing the most kills; ironically, they were also the most susceptible to injuries. Jesus suffered from an open blister from foot burns throughout the entire tournament. (Ouch!) Hai had a torn off toe nail as well as major skin abrasions to the elbow and knee. (Double ouch!)  These two provided Pride EMS their only patients for the event – returning after every game they played!

The man with the plan was Victor Rodriguez – the well rounded tactician of the team, capable of dodging blows and dishing out a few of his own.

Then there was Frankyee Popovich and Kristin “Squee” Lane, the distraction component of the team’s strategy. Frankyee proved his staying power when it was down to just him fending for himself and yet managed to pull off a Sudden Death for the team. Meanwhile, brave Squee took most of the shots for the team – the majority of them to the crotch even when she’s not in the game! (Triple ouch!)

The team, looking bleak at first, got off to a rocky start winning the first round by prevailing through the longest and most gruesome of showdowns. Vic stated, “I thought we might lose. That was too close!” The team gained momentum after learning from their mistakes from the first round to easily wipe out three more teams reaching the finals round only to succumb in another Sudden Death match against The Other Team. Rosebuds, the team to defeat Wet Behind the Ears, came in 3rd and Woody’s came in 4th.

YFT Youngsters were awarded with gift certificates which would include a Hilton’s Spa Weekend, a Blue Mesa brunch for two, a Sambucca dinner for two, an Adventure Land admission, and more!

There will never be an event where YFT would not be accompanied and encouraged by supporters from the organization. Nathan Edgerton and Eva Lopez were there as the action photographers to capture every exciting moment.

Our champions faced formidable foes that represented many organizations such as JR’s, Woody’s, Caven Enterprises, Pride Radio, the Dallas Voice, Sue Ellen’s, Station 4, and others. The event was made possible by sponsors including Pride Radio, Red Bull, Smoke ‘em Joe’s, and others who set up booths during the tournament.

One notable booth was the dunking booth in which our very own Giancarlo became a victim of by request from his father, Loras, to celebrate his recent birthday!

Of course, none of this would have been possible for Youth First Texas without the continuous support of the volunteers. Jessica Short, Rebecca Soloman, and Lara Whittington kindly sponsored the aspirations of Kenny, Squee, and Frankyee, respectfully.

“Oh my god, I loved it! It was such a great opportunity for all of us to bond! It was such great fun!” uttered the still jittery Hai Duong. A free-for-all fest ensued at the end concluding yet another wholesome Youth First Texas event that embodied charity towards a greater good, fellowship among close friends, and another moment in YFT history.