For the third September in a row, a charity dodgeball tournament took over downtown Penticton in the name of giving back to the community.

The Penticton Firefighters' Charitable Society hosted the third edition of the event on Saturday, Sept. 21, with 16 teams and more than 150 people taking part in the festivities at the city's outdoor rink area on Martin Street.

Around $15,000 has been raised for the firefighters' society over the last two years.

"Everything we raise goes to charity," said Trevor Tougas, tournament organizer and local firefighter. "We donate it all to causes all within Penticton and keep it in the community."

The event was made possible on Saturday thanks to its 22 local sponsors. Many of which, Tougas said, formed their own teams to enter into the tournament.

"Seeing all the camaraderie is my favourite part," he added. "The feedback we've gotten has been nothing but positive."

Saturday's tournament began at 10 a.m., with a champion expected to be crowned at around 5 p.m.

A beer garden and bleachers were also set up at the tournament, which added some "extra foot traffic" at an already lively event, Tougas added.

The idea of organizing the tournament came to Tougas and the firefighters' society in 2022. When thinking of which sport they should pick, dodgeball stood out from the jump.

"It's nice to have people come out, raise money for a cause and have fun with something they probably haven't done since high school," he said with a laugh.

"There's going to be a lot of really good players no matter what sport you pick, but we wanted to pick something, where there wouldn't be too many professionals so people can come and play on an even playing field."