Members of the Saskatoon Roller Derby League say they've taken a big hit by losing an important partnership. "We are losing out on our biggest fundraiser of the year," Sarah Coleshaw, who played under the name "Curb Stompin' Coleshaw," and it the league's vice-president.
For the last decade, the athletes have drummed up money by taking care of the garbage and recycling at Taste of Saskatchewan festival in Saskatoon.
But the multi-day summertime festival, which typically features dozens of food vendors and bands, is cancelled this year. The derby members' work at the festival brought in one-quarter of the league's annual income, Coleshaw said. "That fundraiser covers rental space costs.
It covers material costs like track tape, chairs, table rentals, and so it's going to be a very tight year." SaskTel Centre, the organization responsible for Taste of Saskatchewan, did not respond to CBC's inquires about the cancellation, but other local media outlets reported that the festival was cancelled due to cost concerns over revenue and inflation.