A Little History…
August Madness! was the main fundraiser for Bridge II Sports, a North Carolina non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization, since 2011. The premise was simple, community members, local businesses, and corporate partners would raise money to register a wheelchair basketball team of six to seven players, draft a pro player to help them compete, and then battle it out in the PNC Arena for the honor of being crowned champions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic August Madness! evolved into Virtual Madness!, a seated free-throw challenge that allowed people to safely engage in sport and raise money for a worthy cause at the same time.
Once again, it’s time for an evolution of the revolutions and we’re picking up steam as we return to the PNC Arena in 2024 as Rollin’ Madness!
What’s Different this Year?
This year Bridge II Sports is honored to have been selected by Leadership Raleigh 48’s The Mad Hoppers to be the beneficiary of their annual fundraising campaign. This means that, in addition to our wheelchair basketball tournament at PNC arena, Rollin’ Madness! 2024 will offer even more fun and exciting opportunities.
Back Row, Left to Right: Erica Leatham, Zach Cantor, Will Judy, Chris Friend
Front Row, Left to Right: Clay Madding, Samantha Bray, Kathryn Yoakum, Drew Dodson
March Madness Tournament
Tip-Off Party
The event will begin with a Tip-Off Party at Tobacco Road Sports Café on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 5:30 pm. Attendees will enjoy door prizes (including a team registration for Rollin’ Madness!), a 50/50 raffle, a catered buffet, a limited number of complimentary drink tickets, and plenty of TVs hosting the first day’s March Madness action! All proceeds of the event will help support the Bridge II Sports mission of empowering people through adapted sport.
Tobacco Road Sports Cafe
505 W Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
https://www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/raleigh
Date: March 21st, 2024
Time: 5:30 pm until Closing
Ticket Price: $30
Additional Ticket Information
1st Round – $5.00
2nd Round – $10.00
Sweet Sixteen – $20.00
Elite Eight – $35.00
Final Four/National Championship – $50.00
In order to comply with all state and local laws prizes cannot be awarded based on an individual bracket’s performance. All prizes will be awarded by means of a raffle.
March Madness Online Tournament Bracket
Interested participants will also be able to register for our March Madness Tournament Charity Bracket.
There is a $25 entry fee for each full bracket, and once you have registered you will receive a link and password to enter the Bridge II Sports’ charity bracket.* Each correct pick during a round awards you a raffle ticket, which is worth one entry into the random prize drawing at the end of that round. The more correct predictions you make the more chances you have to win
big!
Please note that raffle tickets do not carry over between rounds or across brackets, the Final Four & National Championships will constitute one game, and, if you are submitting multiple brackets each registration must include your name and bracket number.
You may register as many brackets as you would like, and you can purchase additional tickets for each round to increase your odds of winning one of that round’s raffle prizes!
* The bracket will be hosted on the ESPN website and will require the creation of an account with ESPN to participate. A password to the bracket, as well as additional instructions, will be emailed to you after registration.
| 1st Round Prizes | 2nd Round Prizes | Sweet Sixteen Prizes | Elite Eight Prizes | Final Four/Championship Prizes |
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Rules for March Madness Bracket
- 1 win = 1 raffle ticket entry for prizes (the more wins you accumulate in each round, the more chances to win prizes)
- Raffle tickets do not carry over between each round. (i.e. wins in the 1st round only count for the 1st round raffle, wins in the 2nd round only count for the 2nd round raffle, etc.)
- Prizes will be drawn at random.
- A raffle drawing will be held at the conclusion of each round.
- 1st round & 2nd round drawing: March 27th
- Sweet Sixteen & Elite Eight: April 3rd
- Final Four and Championship: April 10th
- Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for any round to allow for more chances to win prizes.
- Note: You do not need to enter the full march madness bracket to buy raffle tickets for a particular round.
If you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, please contact one of the following resources:
National Problem Gambling Helpline
Phone: 1-800-GAMBLER
Text: 800GAM
Chat: 1800gamblerchat.org
North Carolina Council on Problem Gambling
Phone: 336-370-6952
Rollin’ Madness! Silent Auction
In addition to all our great raffle prizes we will also be holding a silent auction, on eBay, for even more great items including [insert list of items here]. Please find us either by searching for our store account, bid_ii_sports, or by following the link below:
Rollin’ Madness! Wheelchair Basketball Tournament
The signature event of Rollin’ Madness! is our wheelchair basketball tournament. This round-robin style event features non-stop competition between almost 30 community teams.
Teams can consist of four to seven players, the registration fee is the same regardless, and can consist of individuals of any experience level and most physical abilities. The event starts off with the All-Star Draft pick where teams have a chance to choose a Pro (i.e. professional able-bodied player or highly skilled wheelchair basketball player) to give them an assist as they climb the ladder towards victory.
This year’s All-Star Draft picks will be announced as we get closer to the event.
What Makes Rollin’ Madness! Special?
Rollin’ Madness! helps us spread awareness of adapted sport, and it is one of the few platforms that allows competitive play between athletes within a wide range of physical abilities.
The reality is that, due to issues like accessible transportation, housing, and workplace accommodations, historically people living with disability have not been well integrated in community with their able-bodied peers. Due to the huge cost of adapted sporting equipment, and accessibility issues with recreational spaces, co-participation is even harder in the world of sport.
It is our hope through this event that every athlete taking the court recognizes that hard work, dedication, and perseverance are present in people of different shapes and sizes, of varying abilities, and have equal value.