On Saturday, May 19, a very special, benefit tournament, “Parry 4 A Purpose,” took place at the Rhode Island Fencing Academy & Club in E. Providence.
Victoria Mueller, a …
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On Saturday, May 19, a very special, benefit tournament, “Parry 4 A Purpose,” took place at the Rhode Island Fencing Academy & Club in E. Providence.
Victoria Mueller, a Barrington native, single-handedly initiated and organized this first in-house tournament which benefited Girl Up, an organization founded by the United Nations to advocate for and empower adolescent girls in six developing countries around the world: India, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, and Uganda.
The Girl Up movement is primarily led by teenage girls like Victoria and focuses on providing underprivileged girls with education, career training, and health services.
The charity event was the first of what is intended to be a yearly fund-raiser for other charities to be selected by RIFAC’s Team II, a group of young, national team members. Victoria combined her passion for fencing and activism to bring her benefit idea to fruition.
RIFAC fencers, many of whom are fellow Barrington residents, were divided into four teams by age, two teams in foil and two in epee. Spirits were high, fencing was intense, and fun clearly was had by all.
RIFAC members who did not fence in the tournament served as referees and clerical personnel. Each participating fencer paid an entrance fee which, at day’s end, totaled $1,350. This amount was donated to Victoria’s charity without deductions for event expenses.
Victoria’s enthusiasm and leadership benefited Girl Up with monetary support and public exposure and benefited the RIFAC organization with the inauguration of an annual tournament whose intention is consistent with the generosity and community spirit already promoted by RIFAC owner, head coach, and Barrington resident Alex Ripa and his wife Jill, coach and club director.