Emmaus Pokemon Party/Beyblade Tournament Set for March 9

“3,2,1...Let it rip! It's that time of year again!”

So begins the email message being passed around at the urging of Alice Boulrice, organizer of the annual Emmaus Pokemon Party/Beyblade Tournament. Mothers of school-age boys and fans of Cartoon Network programming will recognize “3,2,1…Let it rip!” as the battle cry denoting the start of a beyblade match.

For Boulrice, it’s the call to action denoting the start of a grass roots marketing campaign to get the word out about this year’s Pokemon/Beyblade fundraiser to benefit Autism Speaks. A teacher at Lower Macungie Middle School, Boulrice ran her first Pokemon/Beyblade event three years ago, and each year the project has mushroomed in popularity and scope, attracting more participants and raising more money.

This year’s Pokemon Party/Beyblade Tournament will be held at St. Margaret’s Church in Emmaus, located on the corner of Elm and Keystone, on March 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. Expected donation is $15/per person, sibling admission is 2 for $25. Pre-registration is not necessary. All proceeds are donated to Autism Speaks.

During the three hours, youngsters typically trade Pokemon cards, learn how to play the Pokemon “board game,” do crafts, engage in friendy and tournament beyblade matches and whatever else Boulrice dreams up.

“Please feel free to forward this to all your Pokemon and Beyblade friends,” Boulrice writes in her email message. “The most difficult part of organizing this event is getting the word out. So, in other words, help me spread the word!”