Hello Belles!,
What a fantastic turnout at our latest meetup! We had 16 participants, including a new face, Kami, and a returning Belle all the way from Minnesota, Ann! Thanks to everyone who joined us for a night of pinball and fun. Thank you to The Kickback for hosting another event for the Belles & Chimes – Madison Chapter. And for those who participated in our fundraiser for WayForward Food Pantry, be sure to read below for more details on how your generosity made a difference and who took home the sparkly rubber ducky!
We played six rounds of group match play with Jacque and Donelle duking it out on Deadpool to determine the 4th person of the finals on Godzilla. Congrats to the top winners of the night:
For the other groups, Jacque, Alley, and Brooke won 1st place for their respective groups.
Fundraiser for WayForward Food Pantry
Thank you to everyone who participated in our fundraiser for WayForward Food Pantry! Your generous donations will go a long way in supporting a cause that is making a real difference in our community. We collected 47 items in total, with Mary Owen bringing in an impressive 22 of those items, earning her the coveted sparkly rubber ducky! 
WayForward Food Pantry has seen a dramatic increase in need over the past two years, with food pantry visits tripling and 13,133 people benefiting from their programs last year. They provide essential support to 729 households annually, helping ensure that families can maintain housing stability and avoid eviction.
However, the need continues to grow. Food insecurity remains a significant issue in Dane County, with 9.2% of residents affected, and the disparity is even more striking among communities of color—22% of Latino residents and 28% of Black residents face food insecurity, one of the largest racial gaps in the country. (All stats come directly from WayForward’s Impact Page.)
We’re grateful to be part of an effort that shines a light on these important issues and supports those who are working hard to address them.
We’ve got some exciting events lined up for the new year!
- January 8: Casual meetup at Nerdhaven
- January 29: Metallica Remastered launch party at The Kickback
Stay tuned for more details as we finalize our 2025 calendar. It’s going to be an amazing year ahead! 
Remember there are a handful of other events in town hosted by other Tournament Directors. You can see them all on our calendar.
As we approach the end of 2024, excitement is building for the upcoming tournaments!
IFPA-Certified Tournaments: There are two big events coming up—the State Tournament for Wisconsin and the Women’s State Tournament. We have a handful of Belles who are already qualified, with a few others still in the running depending on if current qualifiers drop out.
Check out this cool speculator tool to see the standings and see what would happen if people drop out. There are a number of non-Wisconsinites who qualify so the standings could shake up significantly if folks drop out.
The weekend of January 4th, join us for two co-ed tournaments to help raise money for the Women’s State Tournament:
- January 4th at The Kickback in Middleton
- January 5th at Lumberjack Johnny’s in Appleton
Both are $20 buy-in + coin drop, with half of the entry fee going to the Women’s State Tournament fund and the other half as a cash prize for the winners.
IFPA State Championships will take place January 18th, and the Women’s State Championships will be on January 19th, both at District 82 in De Pere, Wisconsin. Be sure to register before the end of the year if you qualify!
Madison Pinball Tournament: There’s also the Madison Pinball Championship, where the top 16 in the Madison-area will compete. No specific women’s division, but it’s an exciting opportunity for our local players. The tournament is set for January 11th at I/O Arcade Bar. You can follow the current standings on the custom ranking view. Let’s keep cheering for Mary, who is currently qualifying!
As we close out the year, we’re gearing up for something fun—a 2024 Belles Wrapped! We’ll be looking back at the year with some cool stats highlighting our venues of the year, players, and more. Keep an eye out for this lighthearted recap coming soon!
Thanks for being such an amazing part of the Belles community. We can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store!