With two photos — use one or both — Daily Freeman-Journal file photo Teams will once again be dodgin’, ducking and diving as the SHIFT Happens Dodge for a Cause returns on March 4. The event will be held at Jefferson Gymnasium with brackets set up for middle school, high school and family/community combos.

It’s back after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic. It’s time to dodge, duck, dip and dive again.

SHIFT Happens’ annual dodgeball tournament returns on Friday, March 4.

This marks the first event the group has hosted since its March 2020 dodgeball event.

“In fact, the group didn’t even get together in person until November 2021,” said organization advisor Tiffany Larson.

SHIFT Happens — Students Helping Impact Future Teens Happens — are busy planning the event, according to Larson, which is open to students in 5th-12th grades, as well as families and/or community members. Check-in starts at 5:30 p.m, on March 4, with the “first throw” following at approximately 6 p.m. The event will be returning to Jeff Gym, located at the Webster City Middle School, 1101 Des Moines St., Webster City.

Teams of 8 to 10 members are welcome, Larson said, and registration is $50 per team which breaks down to about $5 per player.

There will be three tournament brackets again this year– Middle School (5th-8th grades), High School (9th-12th grades), and a Community/Family Combo bracket. Larson said the community/family combo can be all adults or a mix of youths and adults,

“Any 5th-12th grade student in Hamilton County, as well as families, businesses, non-profit or civic groups, or community members are invited to pick their team, choose their theme, dress it up, and participate in this fun, substance-free event,” Larson said. Individuals may also support the cause by coming to the tournament, sponsoring a team, or donating bracket/door prizes. Admission for spectators will be free-will-donation.

Webster City Rotary will be partnering on the SHIFT Happens efforts again this year, as their March Civic Project.

Each year, the members of SHIFT Happens choose a cause to support with proceeds from the tournament. This year’s cause is Dodgin’ For the Students. All funds raised will go toward purchasing items for youth needs in the Webster City Community School District Area.

“They are excited about this,” she said. “We had a whole bunch of different ideas, but the one thing that really weighed on their hearts and that they felt was of importance to them was helping the youths within the district.”

The group is reaching out to the school nurses, the building administrators, teachers and others to determine what is needed in each building, in effect putting together a wish list for each building.

“They’ll put those lists together and divide up the proceeds and will then purchase some of those items for each of the buildings,” Larson said.

“SHIFT Happens focuses on making an impact in the community by helping teens be Above the Influence, sponsoring awareness and prevention events that help make a difference for others, focusing on projects where they can give back to their school, community, county, and causes, and other youth-focused efforts,” Larson said. “The past dodgeball tourneys raised funds for the Jorden Leeper Memorial Youth Scholarship Fund, the re-opening of the Webster Theater, purchasing items that helped enhance peer engagement and inclusion in the district’s special education classrooms, and more. In 2020, the SHIFTers raised funds to help revitalize the East Twin Park.

Registration is officially open. Forms are available in the Middle and High School offices, Mornin’ Glory, inTANDEM Workspace, Fuller Hall, and additional locations.

Larson invited the community to follow the SHIFT Happens on social media for any updates.

For more information on how to register, call Larson at (515) 602-6371, extension 4 or (515) 835-1836 or email shifthappenshamco@gmail.com or tlarson@co.wright.ia.us.