Out and About: D.C. Divas Events

Okiima Pickett wins Change the Game award

D.C.Divas running back Okiima Pickett, along with current NFL stars Vernon Davis of the 49ers (pictured) and Shawne Merriman of the Chargers, was among the many athletes and celebrities honored for their work in the community and on the field. The Washington Redskins all time leader in sacks Dexter Manley was also an award winner as were Olympic silver medalist hurdler David Payne, Mike Wilson of the Harlem Globetrotters and former NBA star Eric Snow. The event was held at the Z lounge which is part of the LA sports club complex in Northwest Washington, D.C three days prior to the historic inaugural event of President Obama. A portion of the evening's proceeds went to the Be Magic Foundation which is designed to inspire, motivate, educate, celebrate and empower single mothers and their children, of every culture, ethnicity and socio-economic background in the United States.


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21ST Annual Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence

D.C. Divas Keisha Hines and Rachel Huhn along with a contingent from the Prince George’s Sheriff’s department participated in the annual memorial service for victims of domestic violence in the State of Maryland. From July 2007 through June 2008, 75 men women and children lost their lives to domestic violence. Governor Martin O’Malley was the keynote speaker and acknowledged the terrible toll of domestic violence and to reaffirm the commitment by the state and caring communities to end the violence in our homes. Participants each held a heart named in honor for each of the 75 victims. To learn more about how you can help go to www.mnadv.org.


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10th Annual Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic

Former Diva Star and current host of "Divas Sideline", Monica Livingston with "Film Star" Monique at the 10th Annual Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic. The Event featured a flag football game which included NBA greats Allen Iverson,Carmello Anthony, and Rip Hamilton. Other Celebrities in attendance included rapper Nelly, Monique, Judge Hackett and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. The DC Divas were represented by Allyson Hamlin," Poison Ivy "Tillman, Nikki Williams, Labelle Hillgrove and Vicky Lucas.


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Annual July 4th Takoma Park parade

The D.C. Divas participated in the Takoma Park, Md. 4th of July parade for the 3rd straight year and met the most enthusiastic crowd yet. Thousands lined the warm artistic streets that form one of the more engaging and eclectic neighborhoods in Maryland. Divas players and their children helped greet and dance away the day as the team followed Francis Richards and his Caribbean Crew. The Takoma Park parade organizers send a special thanks to all the Divas for their continued spirited support.


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Divas raise funds for resource center

The Ida Mae Campbell Wellness and Resource Center opened its doors in Northwest Washington, D.C. to benefit individuals with mental,emotional or psychiatric disabilities. The Divas helped raise funds for the center with auction items. The grand opening featured D.C. city council members Harry Thomas Jr. and David Catania who used the football analogy of the many people forming a team to help to make this day happen and then “we (David and I) pushed it over from the one yard line just like “The Fridge” use to do” said Thomas. The Divas say congratulations to Beverly, Julie and all the other great folks at the center.


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Redskins QB Jason Campbell meets the Divas

Powerade was the proud sponsor of a football festival at RFK stadium on Saturday April 19th. A number of D.C.Divas were on hand to sign autographs!

Washington Redskin's quarterback Jason Campbell, in response to a question about toughness said "You have to be a real man to take a hit," to which Divas 8 year veteran Gayle "Go Go" Dilla responded "A real man, or a D.C. Diva!"

Dilla then took time to autograph Campbell's shirt. The Divas wish to thank Powerade for a tremendous day. Look for Powerade at upcoming D.C.Divas games.


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Divas walk for Ronals McDonald House

On April 12th, the D.C.Divas supported the Northern Virginia Ronald McDonald House walk at Tyson's Galleria. The fun morning of activities were designed to raise money and awareness for one of the most successful local charities. The Hoggettes were on hand to join Divas rookies and veterans who gave graciously of their time to support this great cause. The Divas wish to thank Debbie Wargo and Claudia Lewis for making us part of this great event.

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St. Patrick's Day Parade

The D.C. Divas helped the Nation's Capital celebrate during the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 16th. The parade featured nearly 150 groups marching from the Capitol to the Washington Monument along Constitution Avenue. The blustery day saw thousands of onlookers being entertained and engaged by the Divas and hundreds of dancers, bands and floats awash in a sea of green.

D.C. Divas rookie and Prince George's County Deputy Sheriff Keisha Hines led a group of youth Explorers in a spirited march.

The D.C. Divas wish to thank Nora Dean and the parade committee for bringing the Divas back for a second year.

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Sister to Sister

Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. was the host of the annual Sister to Sister event designed to bring awareness to women's health issues. February is the focus month for a nationwide tour organized this foundation. D.C Divas Tight End Donna Wilkinson was a guest speaker on the topic of breakthroughs in energy medicine and the role athletics plays in a healthy lifestyle. Thousands of women benefit each year from the conference which began to educate women about the number one killer of women which is still heart disease and stroke. The Divas wish to thank Mrs. Pollin for her warm welcome and support of women's health all over the world.

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Williams and Hemlock Take the Prize

The Pigskin club of Washington D.C. awarded the coveted James Posey award to the D.C. Diva's wide receiver Nikki Williams and defensive back Kathryn Hemlock.

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Livingston Takes 2nd at D.C. Improv

Monica Livingston, a running back for the D.C. Divas and winner of the inaugural contest in 2005, took 2nd place in the Third Annual Funniest Sports Celebrity in Washington Contest at the DC Improv.

D.C. Divas at the ARMY 10 Miler race weekend

The D.C. Divas completed an awesome weekend full of experiences as part of the ARMY 10 Miler race weekend. The Divas were part of a race weekend that saw 26,000 runners and another 20,000 plus family members come together for a tremendous event. The Divas were part of the Tandberg interactive zone on Friday and Saturday and then helped lead the Youth Activity zone on the grounds of the Pentagaon Sunday. " Be all you can be in the Army" is just one of the many messages that were shared by both the Divas and their Army counterparts. We salute George Banker and his amazing staff for an outstanding event and for including the D.C. Divas for the second straight year.

D.C. Divas Pull a Plane for Special Olympics

The D.C.Divas participated in the second annual plane pull on September 8th to benefit the Special Olympics of Northern Virginia. The Divas teamed with the Washington Glory and other committed supporters to raise thousand of dollars and awareness for a great cause. Special thanks to Lisa Craig of DMB sports for her continued support.

D.C. Divas Celebrate the 4th of July

The D.C. Divas participated for the second year in the Takoma Park, Md. 4th of July parade. The Divas in attendance were greeted by a warm and enthusiastic crowd of all ages and backgrounds. Many of the families in attendance turned their front-yards into a festival-style seating and picnic area as the parade moved through historic Takoma Park for 2 miles. The Divas wish to thank everyone involved for a magical 4th of July morning.

Career Day at Adelphi Elementary School

Donna "the Animal" Wilkinson made her career day appearance at Adelphi E.S. for the second straight year. Donna talked to kids about physical fitness, football and life. The classrooms had time for autographs at the end and some tour time of the Divas mobile. Adelphi E.S. is recognized by the state of Maryland as one of the top elementary schools in the entire state.

DIVAS Championship Parade Month

The D.C. Divas were honored to recently participate in the St. Patrick's Day parades in Alexandria, VA. and downtown Washington,D.C. Both parades featured crowds of over 100,000 fans who greeted the area's first football champions since the Washington Redskins in 1991-92. The Divas players and staff wish to thank all those fans who gave us such a warm welcome.

Special Olympics Virginia Trivia Night

The D.C. Divas defense showed up in full force to support the Special Olympics of Virginia on March 8th at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Va. The Divas assisted with question answering, autographs and even made a valiant run to finish in the top five groups of the trivia competition. Of course the real winners are the Special Olympians who raised thousand of dollars to support their tremendous programs. The Divas look forward to seeing their new champion friends during the season.

Divas go National(s)

Former Columbia Union Pitcher and current D.C.Divas linebacker Donna Wilkinson threw out the first pitch at RFK stadium on Labor Day. The crowd of nearly 30,000 saw Donna throw a high and tight strike. The Washington Nationals pitching staff that day combined for a one hitter against the future World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

The Divas team up with WPS and Christie

World Champions Ray Savoy and Donna Wilkinson were the hit of the recent Governement Video Expo at the D.C. Convention Center. Christie, the finest projection systems in the world, and Washington Professional Systems (WPS) featured their excellent products and provided convention goers with two days they will never forget.

IYFFL celebrates first championship with love

Thurgood Marshall Academy became the first ever IYFFL (Independent Youth Flag Football League) champion with a well deserved victory over Cesar Chavez school on a rainy evening in Southeast Washington, D.C. The league was founded by former D.C. Divas defensive back Candy Love. Yes, with much love and fortitude and the help of many administrators and parents, this league made a positve impact. Divas Allysea Marfull along with M'Bwende Anderson helped coach the middle and high school age coed teams. Thurgood Marshall Academy featured 3 young women on their championship squad. The D.C. Divas are proud to have been a league supporter and provider of the championship trophies and t-shirts. Next year Candy, The Seed School and all the great folks that made it happen hope to expand to an all girls league as well.

The championship team from Thurgood Marshall Academy	M'Bwende Anderson, Candy Love, Allysea Marfull, Gold Club Director Joyce Marfull and Donna Wilkinson	League Founder and Former D.C. Divas Defensive Back Candy Love

Divas join in to pull a plane for charity

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D.C. Divas Alison Fischer, Tara Kallal and Claudia Hogan joined the DMB sports group team in a recent plane pull. Yes! A Plane Pull! The teams pulled planes in a contest designed to raise thousands of dollars for the Northern Virginia Special Olympics. Congratulations to Claudia, Alison and Tara for participating in another Divas first.

YMCA Thingamajig is a big Divas success

Divas players T.Q. Billups and Stephanie Hill work with the YMCA on a daily basis and helped put this great event together. Divas in attendance volunteered in a number of activities with the thousands of kids in attendance.

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The outstanding production at Arena Stage is a must see and hear before the end of it's run on August 13th. Many of the Divas took the opportunity for a night of enjoyment during Championship week.

Retirement of Lt. Col. Timothy Smart July 14, 2006 D.C. Divas offensive line coach Tim Smart celebrated his illustrious 20 year Air Force career with a retirement ceremony at the Pentagon. Lt. Colonel Smart was lauded for his attention to detail and tremendous service and sacrifice. He served at bases in Florida, South Dakota, New Mexico, Washington, Texas and Korea. Coach Smart will move on to civilian duty at Ft. Meade in Maryland.

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Courtney Robinson named Valedictorian at DuVal's Awards Ceremony

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Courtney's Achievements include: Valedictorian Outstanding Performance as President of National Honor Society Outstanding Dedication and Performance in Oracle Data Modeling and SQL Class Outstanding Dedication and Commitment to the DuValian Newspaper, Editor-in-Chief Outstanding Performance in Environmental Science The State of Maryland Merit Scholastic Award in Recognition of Your Excellence in Scholastic Achievement She also received several medals for outstanding achievement

YWCA Fundraiser

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Defensive End Sharina Western (left) and Cornerback Alison Fischer (right) meet with legend Don King at a YWCA fundraising event.

Maryland Nighthawks game

The D.C. Divas were honored a recent Maryland Nighthawks game and participated in a number of activities with the fans. Linebacker Donna Wilkinson helped raise hundreds of dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by participating in a free throw competition with Sports Illustrated writer Alex Wolff and former Washington Bullett, 7’7” Gheorghe Muresan.

Washington Wizards skybox

The D.C. Divas hosted a sky suite full of sponsors – guests and players at a recent Washington Wizards game. Capital Television was the proud host of the event which was great fun and a tremendous networking opportunity. For some reason, everywhere we go lately, 7’7” Gheorghe Muresan seems to show up.

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D.C. Divas Defensive Tackle M’bwende Anderson recently completed a production assistant apprenticeship with the Gary Williams Show. The University of Maryland is one of only four schools in the country to have won a National Championship in both men’s and women’s basketball.

D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation fundraiser

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The Divas official beer, Hook and Ladder, has had several fundraisers supporting the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation. The Divas support Hook and Ladder in giving back to those who give us so much.