ChatterBlast is hosting a charity flip cup tournament next week

No one can say Philly’s not creative when it comes to raising money for good causes.

Last month, TicketLeap hosted its second 7 a.m. dance party benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters. And on Friday, April 8, Center City-based creative agency ChatterBlast Media is hosting its third annual charity flip cup tournament.

Yes, this is for real. And it’s seriously successful: The event raised over $18,000 in its first two years and is aiming to raise $15,000 this year alone, according to ChatterBlast Creative Director Matthew Ray.

First of all: What is flip cup? Here’s a Star Wars-themed primer:

So, why charity flip cup?

“The dichotomy of using something wacky, like a Flip Cup game that’s a staple of our college dorm days, and raising money for something so important was really interesting to me,” Ray wrote in an email. “So I pitched it to a few non-profits, and people were, understandably, hesitant. It was hardly your typical chicken-dinner-in-a-ballroom fundraising idea.”

But Field House’s Tim Adams saw the potential and helped make it happen. He now serves as emcee for the event.

“He was able to make it fun without being sloppy,” Ray said.

The benefitting organizations are the Greater Delaware Valley chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and local theatre company Mazeppa Productions. The MS Society was chosen because the disease has affected the lives of several ChatterBlast staffers, Ray said — each year, ChatterBlast also supports a team in the MS City to Shore Bike Ride. And Mazeppa is a favorite of Ray’s, who is friends with the organization’s board president and VP.

“The work they do to bring innovative theater to the city is one of the reasons Philadelphia has become such a center for the arts in the last decade,” he said.

The event hosts 45 teams of five people competing in rounds. After an hour of open play, it’s single elimination. Last team landing flips wins “a gorgeous trophy and bragging rights for the entire year,” plus “adulation of your peers, and the inner-warmth of knowing you’re the best.”

“Its hyper-competitive, but super fun,” Ray said. “People dress up in costume, have team t-shirts, and get what might be called ‘politely rowdy.’ We get every generation, every type of person. Yes, it gets a little wet, but it’s jovial, spirited, and everyone has a blast — ’cause we are having fun and raising $$$ for charity.”