Rip Torn, playing Patches O'Houlihan in the movie "Dodgeball," has long urged fans to "Remember the 5 D's of dodgeball; dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge." Firefighters in Westerly are adding one more to the conversation: donate.
Volunteers with the town's four fire departments — Westerly, Watch Hill, Misquamicut and Dunn's Corners — will come together on Oct. 16 to test their dodgeball skills during the first charity Firefighter Dodgeball Tournament. The competitors will be donned head-to-toe in full firefighting gear.
The tournament, hosted by the Dunn's Corners Fire Department, is part of an expanded effort to raise money for the American Lung Association as part of the annual Fight for Air Climb. The Rhode Island event, one of 40 Fight for Air Climbs across the U.S., is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the association and draws hundreds of participants to the Omni Providence Hotel each March.