Friday, October 28, 2011

Planning for 2012 Make CF History Charity Classic underway, goal to top 'magnificent' 2011 event

The second annual Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament (and more!) is set for June 8th - 10th, 2012.  And while that may seem like a ways off, it will be here before we know it.  And with that in mind, planning for the 2012 Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament has begun.  

The Organizing Committee will meet for the first time since the inaugural event Wednesday November 2nd to officially kick-off our planning efforts.  And on the heels of a very successful inaugural event in 2011, our goal will be to top last year's event...not by a little - by a lot!

The inaugural event was..."magnificent"
Our ultimate measure of success will always be determined from the player's perspective, feedback from whom following the inaugural event was very positive.  "One of the best tourney’s I have ever played in.", said one player.  And on all accounts, our inaugural event was, well...simply put..."magnificent":



How do we top that?
Not easily, but certainly the inaugural event has established a foundation for us to build upon (I hope you watched the video above). And as with the inaugural event, our focus will continue to be on the player's experience - and in 2012, we will want more of them!  With 6 teams in the inaugural event, our goal for 2012 is to host 16 teams, including a women's division as well as a "Battle of the Badges" division for teams consisting of firefighters and policemen. And as we did last year, we will be reaching out to teams across the greater mid-west region to invite them in from out of town to join us. 

As for our fund raising goals (which are secondary to the player's experience), we will be looking to more than double our funding raising achievement of last year.  The inaugural event raised close to $11,000 (against a goal of $10,000) for CF, and therefore we will be striving to raise $25,000 in 2012.

Additionally, this year our organizing committee will be led by the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Their support has been tremendous, and now our partnership is even stronger! 

Thanks to the CF Foundation, the event's official website has taken on new a looks, with new features and functionality:

Teams will be able to register online, and companies wishing to support the event as sponsors will be able to do so online as well. 

And after that?
The goal of the Make CF History campaign is to raise one million dollars for the CF Foundation.  The Make CF History Charity Classic will be our flagship event for achieving this goal.  In the years to come, we envision pursuing world records (http://longestgame4cf.com/), as well as expanding this event to more teams and more rinks such that the central Ohio community will know that each year during the first weekend in June it is "CF Hockey Weekend" in Columbus.

Stay tuned...

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Goals, friendships, history made at inaugural event

From Chad Eddy, founder of the Make CF History campaign

Back in February, the Organizing Committee held our first meeting (at the Donatos at Easton) to discuss how we were going to deliver our vision for the inaugural Make CF History Charity Classic hockey tournament. During that meeting, we established that our priority first and foremost would be from the player's perspective, and creating for them an experience that would be second-to-none. Our goal was to create a tournament experience and an environment such that they would feel special, and taken care of.



The Player's Perspective

Our vision was brought to life this past weekend (June 3rd through the 5th) thanks to the commitment and hard work of our countless supporters - our Organizing Committee, our sponsors, the broader community, and of course our volunteers. Below are some of the comments and feedback we've received from the players over the past few days:
"One of the best tourney’s I have ever played in."
"This was the best [tournament] hands down."
"I've played in a lot of tournaments, and this was hands down one of the most well run."

"I've never played in a tournament where I got to compete in a skills competition too. That's pretty cool."
"I would really like to see this tournament continue and grow into something greater."

"You put on a first-class event."

"[we] were blown away with the jerseys and socks and, well the whole thing."

"It's safe to say that [we] will be back next year."

Success for this event will always be defined by the player's perspective, and by how many of them come back year after year. I hope we are off to good start in this respect, and we can't thank the players enough for their support and participation in our inaugural event!

Fund-raising Perspective

Secondly, our priority was to raise awareness and money for Cystic Fibrosis. As a rough guess, we set a goal to raise $10,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Central Ohio Chapter. Being an inaugural event, we simply didn't know what to expect, but $10,000 seemed like a fair number.

As of the time of this writing, the results of our fund raising efforts reflect that the inaugural event thus far has raised approximately $10,470 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - exceeding our goal of $10,000! Key contributors to exceeding our goal were: donations for the public skate and stick-and-puck were double our anticipated target; monies from the silent and live auctions, as well as the raffle, were triple our anticipated target; and lastly, private donations made from the general public throughout the weekend, which were unanticipated.

Still yet to be determined are the proceeds from the sale of the photographs from the weekend. As we all know, hockey players love to see pictures of themselves in action, and there are plenty of them. Our outstanding photographers, Bernie Beck and Ross Benton, worked tirelessly all weekend to capture all of the action, and have posted the photos on their website - PureEnergyPhotography.com. They are donating 50% of all proceeds from the sale of these pictures to the CF Foundation, so we encourage all of the players and their friends and family to purchase their favorite pictures from the weekend, and help us continue to drive our overall contribution to the CF Foundation.

The rest of the story...

One of my favorite books is The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. It's the story of pursuing one's dreams, and from it is my favorite quote: "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” These are the stories from the weekend about a universe that conspired to help us achieve our goal.

The $100 Dollar Bill

On Sunday morning, I was making my rounds to all the teams following their final game to express my thanks and present them with their team photo. The first team I spoke with were the Barons. In expressing my thanks, I informed them that our fund-raising goal was $10,000 and that after some late-night math, we were at $9,900. Out of the corner of my eye and amid the applause, I noticed a player next to me reaching into his pant pocket. He turned and handed me a rolled-up dollar bill. I didn't look at it, I just said thank you. I turned to leave the locker room, and in doing so opened up the bill to see that he handed me a $100 dollar bill....putting us at our goal of $10,000! Admittedly, as I walked down the hall making my way towards the lobby, I couldn't help but break down. Thank you, Tom Jaroscak, for being a part of the world which conspired in helping us achieve our goal!!

The Man from Pittsburgh

On Sunday morning, a man approached me and asked how he can make a donation. I told him to write a check to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and that I would be happy to deliver it to them. He shook my hand and thanked me for bringing together two wonderful things: Hockey and a good cause. He explained that he was from Pittsburgh, and that he was there to see his daughter's fiance play. He heard about the event from his daughter and had to drive in to see it and be a part of it. He disappeared for a few moments, then re-appeared and gave me a check for his donation to the CF Foundation.

The Player in the Lobby

On Sunday morning, a player came up to me to thank me for putting on the event and for the efforts to support the CF Foundation. He went on to explain that he lost a brother to CF at the age of 26, and also has a 40-year old sister living with CF. He said when he heard about the tournament that there was no question about signing up to play. He asked me if my plan was to do this again next year. "Absolutely.", I replied. "That's great, I'll look forward to coming back.", he said. How could I not after hearing a story like that?

The Family from Michigan

I met a family from Michigan, whose son was playing in the tournament. I learned that they have a family member with CF, and they simply wanted to come down to support the event. Their family member with CF couldn't make it down for the weekend because of a commitment to another CF fund-raising event, but they asked if we would consider moving the date for next year so they can all come down together. Absolutely! We will be moving the date for next year's event.

The Emcee

I first reached out to Stephanie Greegor on Twitter, asking her if she would be interested in being our MC as well as doing some coverage of the event. "Yes, and Yes!", she replied. I later learned that her cousin has a daughter with CF as well, and they both were on-hand for a ceremonial puck drop on Friday night, as well as throughout the weekend. We can't thank Stephanie enough for her support and participation in the event, and hope that she comes back each and every year!!

The Camaraderie

I received an email from my good friend and teammate Chuck Scott late Friday night (actually, early Saturday morning) passing along to me some positive feedback that he received from some of the players from the Detroit team. Putting 1 and 1 together: the late night email, a guy from Columbus mingling with guys from Detroit - Chuck had been out late enjoying some adult beverages with the guys from another team (from another state!). I later learned that Chuck was kind enough to show the out-of-town guys where to go for a good drink and a good time. Chuck was on a first-name basis with the Detroit boys throughout the weekend, and new friendships were formed.

The Family Affair

This inaugural event weekend was a family affair for me personally. My wife's cousin Kevin created the tournament logo (gratis) which got it all started. My father-in-law Nick (A.K.A. "Old School") played on Team Frici, and was a big supporter of the event. My brother John (back, right in picture) flew in from Denver on his own dime and volunteered his time to referee the games. My sister Sarah drove in from Chicago with her daughter, Gabby, to be at the event as well. Gabby (front, center in picture) is my niece and God Daughter, and was born with CF. Gabby and her older sister Madison (who is also living with CF) are the inspiration behind The Make CF History campaign, which I founded in 2006 with the goal of raising $1 million for CF research.


The Final Word...

It goes without saying that one of the biggest benefits of an event like this is getting to meet new people, people who we might not have had a chance to meet otherwise. The weekend was full of powerful moments like the ones above, where seemingly random people came together for a common purpose. And friends and family who came together from near and far to show their support.

The fact that we achieved our fund-raising goal is secondary to the fact that the event itself fostered new friendships, and established our foundation for future events. My sincerest gratitude goes out to the players, our sponsors, our volunteers and my family for making our inaugural event a success!

Alchemy is defined as the process of transforming base metal matter into gold. And that is how I will always view our inaugural event - a time when people, and products, and time, and energy came together to form "gold".

I look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

Friday, May 27, 2011

The "original six" ready to square off in our inaugural tournament

In just one short week, six teams will square off in our inaugural Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament.

The "original six", as the teams competing in our inaugural event will always be referred to, are comprised of men's league teams from Columbus as well as Detroit, MI and Dayton. The tournament, which is sanctioned by USA Hockey, will consist of games Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Each team will play in 3 round-robin games, culminating in a play-off game each based on their seeding from the round-robin games.

While the hockey tournament is the centerpiece of the weekend, the weekend's activities include much, much more. On Saturday June 4th, the Columbus Blue Jackets mascot "Stinger" will be on-site from noon to 1:00PM to skate in the open skate and stick-and-puck. At 1:00PM, Columbus Blue Jackets Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett will be on-site for an autograph session until 2:00PM. There will also be a silent auction from 11:00AM - 2:00PM, capped off with a live auction from 2:00PM to 2:30PM.

The event and all of the activities are open to the general public. Donations will be accepted in lieu of skate rental fees and stick-and-puck fees. 100% of all the proceeds of the event will go directly to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

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For more information, contact the Organizing Committee at thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com.


Monday, May 9, 2011

Derek Dorsett to join us in our fight to find a cure for CF

Derek Dorsett, the Columbus Blue Jackets agitator, will be joining us off the ice in our fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

The Organizing Committee of the inaugural Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament is pleased to announce that Derek Dorsett will be appearing along side teammate Jared Boll Saturday June 4th from 1:00PM - 2:00PM to sign autographs for fans. Admission is free and open to the general public. Additionally, fans can also meet the Blue Jackets mascot "Stinger" during an open skate from 12:00PM - 3:00PM, as well as a stick-and-puck for kids from 12:15PM - 2:15PM. The Chiller Ice Rink has graciously donated the ice and rental skates in order to make these activities free for everyone. Donations can be made in lieu of the usual skate rental fee and ice skating charge, 100% of which will go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

So come out Saturday June 4th from 1:00PM to 2:00PM to the Easton Chiller and meet Derek Dorsett! Bring the whole family to have some fun on or off the ice and help us make CF "history" (a thing of the past).

The Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament includes a hockey tournament for adult men and women, a silent auction, public skate and a stick-and-puck for kids. 100% of all proceeds from the event will go directly to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
. Click here for more information on the schedule of events.


###

For more information, contact the organizing committee at thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Jared Boll to join us in our fight to find a cure for CF

Jared Boll of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who is known for his ability to fight on the ice, will be joining us off the ice in our fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

The Organizing Committee of the inaugural Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament is pleased to announce that Jared Boll will be appearing Saturday June 4th from 1:00PM - 2:00PM to sign autographs for fans. Admission is free and open to the general public. Additionally, fans can also meet the Blue Jackets mascot "Stinger" during an open skate from 12:00PM - 3:00PM, as well as a stick-and-puck for kids from 12:15PM - 2:15PM. The Chiller Ice Rink has graciously donated the ice and rental skates in order to make these activities free for everyone. Donations can be made in lieu of the usual skate rental fee and ice skating charge, 100% of which will go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

So come out Saturday June 4th from 1:00PM to 2:00PM to the Easton Chiller and meet Jared Boll! Bring the whole family to have some fun on or off the ice and help us make CF "history" (a thing of the past).

The Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament includes a hockey tournament for adult men and women, a silent auction, public skate and a stick-and-puck for kids. 100% of all proceeds from the event will go directly to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
. Click here for more information on the schedule of events.


###

For more information, contact the organizing committee at thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com

Thursday, April 28, 2011

"Stinger" Joining Us in Our Fight to Find a Cure for CF!

The organizing committee of the inaugural Make CF History Charity Classic proudly welcomes Stinger to our schedule of events.

Stinger, the official mascot of the Columbus Blue Jackets, will be appearing Saturday June 4th from 12:00 - 1:00PM during our public skate and stick-and-puck for kids. These activities are open to the general public and are free of charge. The Chiller Ice Rink has graciously donated the ice and rental skates in order to make these activities free for everyone. Donations can be made in lieu of the usual skate rental fee and ice skating charge, 100% of which will go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

So come out Saturday June 4th from noon to 1:00PM to the Easton Chiller and skate with Stinger! Bring the whole family to have some fun on the ice while skating for a purpose and helping us make CF "history" (a thing of the past).

The Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament includes a hockey tournament for adult men and women (teams TBD), a silent auction, public skate and stick-and-puck for kids. 100% of all proceeds from the event will go directly to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
. Click here for more information on the schedule of events.


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For more information, contact the organizing committee at thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Organizing Committee Welcomes Steph Greegor as our MC!

The Organizing Committee is pleased to announce Steph Greegor will be joining us as the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for our inaugural event, June 3 - 5th at the Easton Chiller Ice Rink.

Steph is a sports writer for the Other Paper (www.theotherpaper.com), covering the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Columbus Crew. Steph is an avid hockey fan, and also has a personal connection to Cystic Fibrosis as she has a family member currently living with CF.

Having a personality such as Steph supporting our event is going to be a tremendous value-add, and we are grateful for the time and energy she has already put into promoting our event. Since connecting with Steph on Twitter, and she has been tremendously supportive, promoting our event on Facebook, Twitter and her blog. As a result of her promotional efforts, our event's website has experienced a significant spike in visitor traffic, and we have received additional interest from local hockey players wanting to participate in the tournament.

We are honored and delighted to have Steph joining us. Steph can be followed on Twitter (@greegor23) as well as on her blog, "Jacket Racket", on the OtherPaper.com. Check out our Schedule of Events page for when Steph and our team will be kicking things off and what else is happening throughout the weekend.

Four men's teams are currently registered for the tournament - two from Columbus, one from Detroit and one from Dayton. We are looking to fill the last 4 team spots by our next deadline of May 13th. The team registration packet can be downloaded from the "Event Downloads" in the right-hand navigation section on our website. Please contact the Tournament Director Chad Eddy at chad@makecfhistory.com for instructions on how to register as an individual player.

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For more information, contact the organizing committee at thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com

Sunday, April 17, 2011

In Special Memory

Members of the Organizing Committee lost a special teammate and friend this past week, taken from us too early and at too young of an age.

Ryan Williams was a great friend and hockey player who had a positive impact on everyone who knew him. He will be remembered for his constant smile and sense of humor - in the locker room, on the bench and on and off the ice.

In particular, the Hatrick Swayze hockey team of the CAHL B-League will miss Ryan dearly, and will always have a spot on the bench for him every Monday night.

You will be missed, and never forgotten. Rest in peace, Ryan!
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

Monday, April 11, 2011

Second Registration Now Open!!

The First Annual "Make CF History" Charity Classic Hockey Tournament (and more!)

Event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation includes: 8-team hockey tournament for men, a 4-team hockey tournament for women, Silent Auction, Public Skate and Stick-and-Puck for kids




WHAT: Men’s and women's adult amateur hockey tournament (USA Hockey sanctioned), Silent Auction, Public Skate and Stick-and-Puck

WHEN: Friday June 3 – Sunday June 5, 2011

(See our Schedule of Events for more details)

WHERE: Chiller Easton
3600 Chiller Lane
Colum
bus, Ohio 43219
614-475-7575 | www.thechiller.com

WHY: To benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
and CF Research


Register your team today!!

www.thecharityclassic.blogspot.com/p/teams.html
"OPEN" TEAM REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
May
13, 2011




For more information:
visit www.thecharityclas
sic.blogspot.com
or
contact
the Organizing Committee:
thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com



Follow the event:

Monday, January 10, 2011

Welcome!

The First Annual "Make CF History" Charity Classic Hockey Tournament (and more!)

Event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation includes:
8-team hockey tournament for men, a 4-team hockey tournament for women, Silent Auction, Public Skate and Stick-and-Puck for kids





WHAT: Men’s and women's adult amateur hockey tournament (USA Hockey sanctioned), Silent Auction, Public Skate and Stick-and-Puck

WHEN: Friday June 3 – Sunday June 5, 2011


WHERE: Chiller Easton
3600 Chiller Lane
Colum
bus, Ohio 43219
614-475-7575 | www.thechiller.com

WHY: To benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
and CF Research


Register your team today!!

www.thecharityclassic.blogspot.com/p/teams.html
(TEAM REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 8, 2011)



For more information:
visit www.thecharityclas
sic.blogspot.com
or
contact
the Organizing Committee:
thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com



Follow the event:

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Announcing the First Annual Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament


Press Release



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From: The Make CF History Campaign
Contact: thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com





Announcing the First Annual Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament
Event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation includes 8-team hockey tournament, silent auction, public skate and stick-and-puck for kids


WHAT: Men’s adult amateur hockey tournament, silent auction, public skate and stick-and-puck

WHEN: Friday June 3 – Sunday, June 5, 2011

WHERE: Chiller Easton
3600 Chiller Lane
Columbus, Ohio 43219
614-475-7575 | www.thechiller.com

WHY: To benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and CF Research

TEAM REGISTRATION: www.thecharityclassic.blogspot.com/p/teams

One man’s fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) hits the ice June 3 – 5, 2011 at the Chiller Easton Ice Rink with the inaugural Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament.

Chad Eddy, an uncle to two nieces with Cystic Fibrosis, has always been looking for creative ways to be an active participant in the fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. “I have always wanted to do more than just participate in other fund raising events. I have wanted to do more for the cause to find a cure for CF.” says Chad.

In 2006, he launched the "Make CF History" campaign, which is an online initiative aimed at raising $1 million for CF research. “Getting the online aspect of the initiative up and running was easy. Getting the word out is a continuous work in progress.” Chad sought to create another forum to spread the word about the Make CF History campaign and more importantly to raise awareness and money for CF research. “Hockey is a passion of mine, and the idea behind this event stems from an outdoor alumni hockey game I played in last January outdoors in downtown Detroit (www.outdoorclassicdetroit.com). It was such a successful event which drew a lot of attention from the media, sponsors and the general public. We want to create a similar event with a similar atmosphere, but for the purpose of supporting the fight to find a cure for CF. This is why I hope the event will inspire players, sponsors, media and the general public to be a part of it.”

The goal of the Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament is to raise awareness and money for Cystic Fibrosis research, while creating a fun and value-added event for the participants, audience, volunteers and sponsors. The event’s main attraction is a hockey tournament which will match up 8 adult men’s amateur teams, but will also include a silent auction, a public skate and a stick-and-puck for kids. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “The response we’ve received from players, sponsors and the CF Foundation has been overwhelmingly positive, and the folks at the Chiller have been incredibly supportive from the moment I reached out to them. The Easton Chiller was our first choice not only for its proximity to restaurants, shopping and hotels, but also because it is a great facility with an ideal layout for the kind of event we are trying to create.”

Donatos, Tim Hortons, Marriott Hotels and Westchester Golf Course are among the growing list of supporting sponsors of the event. If you would like to support this great event as a sponsor, visit www.thecharityclassic.blogspot.com/p/sponsors for more information.

Teams can now register for the tournament through the entry deadline of April 1, 2011. The registration packet can be downloaded from the event's website at www.thecharityclassic.blogspot.com/p/teams. The tournament is sanctioned by USA Hockey. The event is endorsed by the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and can be followed on Facebook as well.

About the “Make CF History” Campaign
The Make CF History campaign was launched in 2006 by Chad Eddy, who has two nieces (one being his God Daughter) who were born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). This internet-based initiative can be found at www.MakeCFHistory.blogspot.com, and has a goal to raise $1 million dollars for Cystic Fibrosis research and to make Cystic Fibrosis a thing of the past (hence “history”). “Think of it as the Million Dollar Home Page meets the Home Page with a Purpose. My main motivation stems from, if nothing else, a sense of urgency – having two nieces with CF, I feel like time is of the essence to make a difference.” says Chad. In partnership with the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, on-line donations are driven from the website directly to the CF Foundation. “Making a donation is easy, and in recognition of your donation you will receive one rose measuring 50x50 pixels on the website. Roses are permanently posted on the site and will hopefully be seen by millions of people for many years. And when we find a cure for CF, everyone will own their piece of Internet history as the site will represent a time capsule for the part of our generation who actively fought to find a cure for this disease.”

In 2009, Chad established a cause on Facebook (www.causes.com/MakeCFHistory) to increase awareness and drive additional donations. In 2011, the Make CF History campaign is taking the fight to find a cure for CF to the ice, with the inaugural Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament.

About Cystic Fibrosis
CF is a genetic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system of ~30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). In the 1950s, few children with CF lived to reach elementary school. Today, with advances in research and medical treatments many live into their 30s, 40s and beyond. Current facts:
  • 1,000 new cases are diagnosed each year
  • 45% of the CF patient population is 18 or older
  • The predicted median age of survival is mid-30s
  • There is no cure

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For more information, including team registration and sponsorship information, visit the event’s website at www.thecharityclassic.blogspot.com or contact the Organizing Committee at thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com.