Shockoe Showdown: Coming in hot on May 13
You might not know this about Torx, but we sometimes enjoy the occasional game of ping pong. We also think it might be the greatest sport to have graced the Earth.
Being a creative agency, we’ve found a few innovative ways to justify why we’ve dedicated a corner of the office to a ping pong table instead of something more office-y, like a filing cabinet. We love to hear the familiar rattling of table tennis because, to quote our wise Account Manager Sammy, “We gotta be a cool and hip pong-doing agency, remember?” (Plus, we’re pretty sure Randall Branding feels the same way.) Sometimes we’re so eager to pick up the paddles that we make excuses (“I need a break from my desk,” “I’ve hit a wall”) or even tell boldfaced lies (“The table looks lonely,” “I need to work out”). But really we’re chasing the thrill of chasing that plastic ball around the room, practicing the beloved, non-billable activity that breaks up our 9 to 5.
Then we wondered: If ping pong brings us this much joy on an average workday, why not bring the joy of ping pong to the forefront of everyone’s workday? If ping pong brings us so much happiness, then what would happen if we brought together teams from other creative agencies in Shockoe for a great big neighborhood ping pong party? And then…What if we all played pong for a purpose, to give back to our community??
Thus, the Shockoe Showdown Ping Pong Tournament was born – partly to justify our need for pong during working hours, and partly to play and connect with nearby agencies that do the same work we do.
On Friday, May 13, we’re gathering with local pongers for the fiercest bout of competitive whiff-whaffing that Shockoe Bottom has ever seen. The tournament will feature 64 players from the participating agencies: Torx, Randall Branding, WorldView Solutions, Park Group, Workshop Digital and The Martin Agency.
However, Shockoe Showdown isn’t just the ultimate competition to determine the next Bottom-based table tennis superstar – it’s also a great chance to give back to charitable causes we care about. Each agency is playing for a charity, with Torx playing for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to support kids and families impacted by childhood brain cancer.
Since 1984, The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation has been on a mission to raise money for childhood brain tumor research. Through a national series of annual motorcycle rides and 8K Run/Walk events, PBTF has become the largest non-governmental funder of pediatric brain tumor research. In addition to funding research, the Foundation also provides family support and even scholarships for children who have won their battle with brain cancer.
When the Shockoe Showdown games begin at 3:00pm, each player will put their training to the test to win it all for their team and benefit their agency’s cause. Although WorldView will host the beginning and end of the tournament, the other agencies will still have the chance to pong on their home turf. Many of the games will be played/decided in the various agencies’ offices throughout Shockoe Bottom, because naturally all of our offices all have ping pong tables.
Once the ultimate Champion is crowned, the chosen charity of that player’s agency will win the bulk of the prize money raised through registration fees. But since we’re nice guys, we’re splitting the rest of the pot between the remaining nonprofits, so everyone wins a little.
While we’re super excited to face the tough competition, we’re really looking forward to making friends and celebrating our love of pong with other creative types, in a way that will hopefully benefit and support our community. Besides, if we don’t win this year, we’ll be the first agency to demand a rematch.
#NeverForget #ShockoeShowdown2017