Word-Up! Talking Trashing For Kids and Dictionaries

Engaging in good-natured trash talking can be fun, right? Add to that a 70’s-themed tennis tournament (complete with a disco ball) that will benefit The Dictionary Project I’m supporting, and you’ve got Word-Up (Facebook event page).

On Saturday, February 27th, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., area bloggers and social-media enthusiasts will step out from behind the safety of their monitors and iPhones to face off at the Birmingham Racquet Club.

For a group of Detroiters accustomed to scrapping out turf in the cyber world by skillfully lobbing poignant barbs, placing the perfect spin on headlines and relying on the fastest servers, the opportunity to see who rises to the top in a face-to-face battle of good ole' fashion trash talk was too much to resist.

All proceeds from the event will go to The Dictionary Project to help complete the mission of putting a dictionary in the hands of 25% of Oakland County School District's 3rd graders by March 25.

You can play, attend, support or sponsor Word-Up. You may as well, cuz if you don't, we'll just talk trash about you anyway. ;)

So how will the tournament work?

Each court will play doubles for 20 minutes, then rotate up the river/down the river style and record the amount of games they won.

At the end of the two hours, we will add up all of the game totals and the players with the highest scores (winners can be on any court) will win a prize…or some trash talk from the non-winners!

The theme is stylish 70's athletic wear (not required, but strongly encouraged). A prize will be awarded for best costume, so the more creative and eccentric, the better!

Tennis and spectator spots are limited and on a first come, first serve basis.

Ticket types include:

Racquet-Wielding Word Warrior (aka tennis player) $20

Sideline Mudslinger (aka onlooker) $10

Benevolent Benefactor $30 (aka gets you in the door as a sideline mudslinger + a shiny pin that lets everyone know you're a high-roller)

Anonymous Benefactor (aka you're above attending plebeian events, but would like to contribute to the cause)

An after party location will be announced during the event.

Feel free to RSVP on the Facebook page, but your spot isn’t confirmed until you register on the Eventbrite page - http://word.eventbrite.com/.

I realize tennis isn’t for everyone, but I sincerely hope you consider coming to the event if you live in metro Detroit, at least for the sheer amusement of wannabe tennis players running around in 70’s outfits and talking trash for kids! Let's have some fun, raise some cash and make a bunch of third graders happy by giving them new dictionaries.