UKIAH, Calif. – On Saturday, Aug. 24, men's roller derby action will be coming to the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds.

Starting at 4 p.m. Ukiah's Deep Valley Belligerents, currently ranked No. 8 in the international Men's Roller Derby Association, will compete along with No. 6 Portland's Bridgetown Menace and Los Angeles' Drive-By City Rollers in three bouts that will pair these teams against one another in this triple header.

Though men's derby is relatively new and unknown in the area, this night of action will impact the rankings world wide as teams vie for the final spots at the MRDA Championships to be held in October.

After being fans of the Mendo Mayhem and watching spouses, girlfriends and sisters play roller derby, a few men thought it would be fun to try it themselves.

A small black and white, 20 minute scrimmage during a special triple header at Skate City on Halloween 2010 instantly turned these derby widows into more than fans but derby addicts.

Soon the guys started appearing more and more at the women's practices. A few more men's exhibition scrimmages were too much fun to stop at just that. The idea came up to start a mens team in Ukiah.

The brain/love child of ChemTrail No. 76 became a reality in March 2011 with the first men's practice at Skate City.

With the help of Mendo Mayhem and women skaters like Chica Boom, Full Metal Jackie and JC's Cassus Clay, the Deep Valley Belligerents were born.

Over a year later DVB is a legit men's league with goals of national competition. The Belligerents reign all the way up Highway 101 along the coast from Mendo to Southern Oregon, pulling their league members from smaller cities and women's leagues to make them the coastal team in Northern California.

The Aug. 24 event is an opportunity for DVB to raise awareness about their sport while benefiting a worthwhile cause, the Jesse Pittman Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Willits native Jesse Pittman was one of 30 American servicemen killed in 2011 in the crash of a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan.

Pittman graduated from Willits High School in 2002. He served as a Cal Fire firefighter in the Mendocino Unit in 2003-04 before enlisting in the Navy.

The Jesse Pittman Memorial Scholarship Fund helps determined young Americans who share his spirit to continue their development by ensuring an opportunity to attend college.

This scholarship is awarded to Mendocino County high school seniors, including Pittman's alma mater- Willits High School.

Young people cut from Pittman's cloth are people who demonstrate their value through grit, hard work and determination, who want to answer the call to service and make a difference, who seek adventure and challenge and who possess an uncommon desire to succeed.

A portion of the proceeds from Saturday Night's Triple Header will be donated to the fund.

Deep Valley Belligerents invites the community to come out, support local roller derby and support the future education of local youth.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Nifty Thrifty or online at www.brownpapertickets.com at a cost of $8 per person. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $12.