Saturday, October 13, 2012

2013 'Charity Classic' set for June 7-9th

The organizers of the Make CF History Charity Classic are hard at work already, and the first piece of the planning process is in place: the date of next years event! 

Save the Date: June 7th - 9th, 2013.

Once again, the Make CF History Charity Classic will be hosted at the Chiller Ice Rink at Easton.  The Chillers have been great partners for us, and we are proud and excited to bring the event back to the Chiller at Easton.  Many thanks for GM Jeremy Rogers and his excellent staff for their continued support!

What's In Store for 2013
As always, our planning process begins with the players in mind first, and making sure we are creating a first-class experience for them.  There will be room for 16 teams again this year across four divisions.  In addition to the men's Experienced and Intermediate divisions, we will be adding a Beginner's (co-ed) division, and will again be looking to fill a Women's division.  For the players, there will again be a Skills Competition, social activities after the games, and many other great perks!  The tournament will be sanctioned by USA Hockey.

We will again be including kids in the event, and are looking to expand the kid's game into a tournament for four to eight teams of mites and mini mites.

There will again be activities for the general public, including a general skate, a stick-and-puck, and of course the silent and live auctions with great items and packages.

We are creating many new sponsorship opportunities as well for companies to get involved in a variety of ways to support this great cause. 

For inquiries about our event, sponsorship opportunities or how to participate contact Jackie Riedel at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Central Ohio: 
740 Lakeview Plaza Blvd., Suite 225 
Worthington, OH 43085 
p: (614) 846-2440 

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Thursday, June 14, 2012

2012 'classic' crossed borders, reached new heights

From Chad Eddy, founder of the Make CF History campaign

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Paulo Coelho wrote that in his best selling book (and one of my favorites), The Alchemist. It's the story of pursuing one's dreams.  My dream is to one day be a part of a generation that found the cure for Cystic Fibrosis, and to know that the Make CF History Charity Classic played an active role in finding the cure.

Sticking with the Alchemist for a moment, "alchemy" is defined as the process of transforming base metal matter into gold. The Make CF History Charity Classic is, I hope, our pursuit of alchemy - bringing together people, products, services, and financial resources for a period of time with one common purpose in mind: finding a cure for CF.

For the second year in a row, our vision for the Make CF History Charity Classic was brought to life thanks to the commitment and hard work of our countless supporters - our Organizing Committee, our sponsors, the players, the broader community, and of course our volunteers.

The Player's Perspective

We established at the on-set of this journey 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 is to create an experience and an environment such that they would feel special, and taken care of.  And therefore, "success" for this event will always be defined by the player's, and by how many of them come back year after year.

This year, we added two teams, created two divisions and crowned two new Champions.  We had several returning players from last year, as well as several first-time players this year.  Below are some of the comments and feedback we've received from the players over the past few days from this year's event:
"One of the best tourney’s I have ever played in."
"This was one of the most well organized tournaments I've ever played in."
"[This tournament] is first class."
"You put on a first-class event."
"We are already planning on coming back next year."
We can't thank the players enough for their support and participation in this event, and we hope to see them back next year!

Fund-raising Perspective

Going in to this year's event, we set a goal to raise $15,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Central Ohio Chapter.

As of the time of this writing, the results of our fund raising efforts reflect that we have raised over $18,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - exceeding our goal of $15,000! Key contributors to exceeding our goal were: sponsorships, donations from the stick-and-puck sessions; monies from the silent auction, as well as the raffle; pledges raised from the kids' charity game (great job, kids!); and lastly, private donations made from the general public throughout the weekend, which were unanticipated.

Still yet to be realized 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 photographer Bernie Beck and his team of volunteers worked tirelessly all weekend to capture all of the action, and have posted the photos on their website - BernieBeck.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...

These are the stories from the weekend about a universe that continues to conspire to help us achieve our goal: a cure for CF.

The "donation" (again!)

You may recall last year the unexpected and on-the-spot donation from the Baron's own Tom Jaroscak which put us over our fundraising goal.  Well, this year it happened again!  On Saturday night I was appraoched by a fellow hockey player (who will remain nameless to protect the innocent) who wanted to know more about our fundraising goal and how he can make a donation.  As I shared our goal of $15,000 and explained that we will likely fall a bit short, he promptly expressed his desire to make a donation to help.  As I started to explain the process for making a donation, he humbly "asked" if a pledge of [something in the four-figure range] would be enough.  As I posted on my Twitter and Facebook page shortly thereafter: once again, the Make CF History Charity Classic has exposed me to people whose generosity leaves me humbled and speechless with gratitude.  Thank you (you know who you are) for being a part of the world which is conspiring to help us achieve our goal!!

The Man from Pittsburgh - Part II

On Sunday morning of last year's event, a man approached me and asked how he can make a donation. 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. On Friday of this year, that same man appeared (with his wife and daughter-in-law) in the lobby, and came right up to me and shook my hand - as if picking up right where we left off last year.  Mike Kurtz is his name, and he is the father of Garrett Kurtz who plays on the Dayton team - and I can't thank them enough for their support of what we do.  And I look forward to seeing them again each and every year!

The Family from Michigan - Part II

Last year I met a family from Michigan, whose son played in the tournament. I learned that they have a family member with CF, and they simply wanted to come down to support the event. I've since gotten to know their son, Jesse Predhomme, a bit - and on Saturday morning of this year I had the pleasure of seeing his parents again as they made the trip down from Michigan again to support their son and the event.  To add to this family affair, their cousin Justin played on the CH Robinson Detroit team, as did his twin brother who made the trip from Kentucky to be there this year.  I look forward to seeing the Predhomme's and Ronayne's each year, as our family's share the personal connection to CF and share in the fight to find a cure.

The Goalie from Canada

A few months ago the CF Foundation forwarded me an email from a guy who offered to play in our event.  Simply, the email from him read, "Hi, if you would like to have a goalie with CF play on an entry in your hockey tournament in June, I would be interested." We received several emails from individuals looking to be placed on teams, which we saved for consideration once we had all of the teams registered.  And, on the surface, this email seemed much the same as the others.  That was until the CF Foundation sent me an email the following day with a links to his story - and this is the story of Trevor Umlah from Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Not only did Trevor bless us with his presence this year, he played for two teams (including mine), playing in 8 games in 3 days.  He is truly an inspiration for all of us - both from a hockey perspective, as well as for life in general.  Trevor, you have a standing invite to join us each and every year, and we hope to see you here again!

The Family Affair

As with the inaugural event, the weekend was a family affair for me and others. My wife's cousin Kevin created the tournament logo (gratis), which of course gets it all started. My father-in-law Nick (A.K.A. "Old School") led the Monday Knights, who finished 2nd in the Intermediate division. My brother John came in again from Denver on his own dime and volunteered his time to referee the games. And My sister Sarah drove in from Chicago with her daughter Alison and husband R.V. to be at the event as well. Their youngest daughters Gabby (my God Daughter) and Madi were born with CF, and are the inspiration behind The Make CF History campaign, which I founded in 2006 with the goal of raising $1 million for CF research.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Predhomme's and Ronayne's, who are huge supporters of our event and are personally affected by this deadly disease.

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 otherwise have had a chance to meet. 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 exceeded our fund-raising goal (again!) is secondary to the fact that the event itself fosters new friendships, continues to drive awareness for CF, and brings together families and friends from far and near.  My sincerest gratitude goes out to the players, our sponsors, our volunteers and my family for making this event such a success!

I look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Columbus Blue Jackets mascot Stinger joins us in the fight to find a cure for CF!

The organizing committee for the 2012 Make CF History Charity Classic proudly welcomes Stinger to this year's event!

Stinger, the official mascot of the Columbus Blue Jackets, will be appearing Saturday June 9th to join us in the fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Stinger will be on the ice from 12:30 - 1:30PM for our stick-and-puck sessions for kids. A minimum donation of $15 can be made in lieu of the typical ice time charge, 100% of which will go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

And at 1:40PM, Stinger will join us for our inaugural Kids' Charity game, presented by Highlights for Children, where he will drop the puck for the opening face-off.  Player registration for the kids' charity game is open to the first 30 skaters and two goalies who each raise a minimum of $75 in pledges for the CF Foundation. Each player will receive a goody bag, pizza (complements of Papa John’s) as well as a Make CF History game jersey and socks.

So come out Saturday June 9th 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).

In addition to these great activities, the Make CF History Charity Classic includes an 8-team adult hockey tournament, a silent auction, and an autograph session with Columbus Blue Jackets Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett. 100% of all proceeds from the event will go directly to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

For more information, contact the Jackie at the Central Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or the organizing committee at thecharityclassic@makecfhistory.com.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett to join us in the fight to find a cure for CF!

Derek Dorsett to sign autographs at the 2012 Make CF History Charity Classic!Jared Boll to sign autographs at the 2012 Make CF History Charity Classic!Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett of the Columbus Blue Jackets, both known for their 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 2012 Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament is pleased to announce that Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett will be appearing Saturday June 9th at the Easton Chiller from 12:30PM - 1:30PM to sign autographs for fans. Admission is free and open to the general public. 

In addition to the autograph session, Saturday's activities include:

A silent auction, 11:00AM - 3:00PM
Come on out and bid on your favorite items, from golf outings to autographed sports memorabilia.  100% of the proceeds will go directly to the CF Foundation.

A stick-and-puck for kids, 12:15PM - 1:30PM
The Chiller Ice Rink has graciously donated the ice in order to make the stick-and-puck 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.

Our inaugural kids charity game, 1:40PM - 2:40PM 
We are getting the kids involved in the action!  Geared for kids ages 6-8, kids who raise $75 or more in pledges for the CF Foundation will be eligible to play.  The kids charity game will be open to the first 30 skaters and two goalies, and registration is open up to the day of the game.  
If you have a youth hockey player who is interested in playing in the kids charity game, contact Jackie Riedel at the CF Foundation of Central Ohio for more information.

And don't forget to come out and support our adult tournament players throughout the weekend! 

So come out Saturday June 9th to the Easton Chiller to meet Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett, and join in the fight to find a cure for CF! Bring the whole family to have some fun on or off the ice, and help us make CF "history" (a thing of the past). 

100% of all proceeds from 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

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Steph Greegor returns to emcee our event this June

The Organizing Committee is honored and excited to announce that Steph Greegor will be returning as our emcee for the 2012 Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament this June!

This year Steph joins us as a contributor to FoxSportsOhio.com (covering the Columbus Blue Jackets), and will once again be our honorable emcee throughout the weekend.  With many of the details for the weekend's schedule still being determined, you can count on seeing Steph at the Easton Chiller with us, enjoying all of the action and fun. You can also follow Steph on Twitter (@Greegor23) to get the latest news and coverage of the Columbus Blue Jackets, as well as a few tweets on our event.

We had the good fortune of having Steph's support of our inaugural event last June, which went way beyond the role of emcee.  As a writer for The Other Paper, she worked with us in the weeks leading up to the event and throughout the event weekend, committing her time, energy and passion for hockey by serving as our emcee and host at our venues.  It is only with Stephanie’s partnership and support that we were able to achieve our fund raising and community relations goals.

Steph's partnership and support is invaluable for an event like ours, and for our cause to help in the fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.  We are delighted and honored to have her back with us this June! 

Sunday, February 12, 2012

COUNTDOWN: 4 Months To Go

In four short months, the ceremonial pucks will drop in the 2nd Annual Make CF History Charity Classic Hockey Tournament! And the Organizing Committee has been hard at work getting ready for the big weekend... 

The schedule for the weekend's events is taking shape, and there will be a lot to look forward to from the public, player and sponsor perspective.  As usual the adult amateur hockey tournament will serve as the centerpiece of the weekend's events.


From the Player's Perspective

Registration is now open through April 30th! This year we have set up our 2nd annual tournament to host a wider variety and more teams than we did last year, with four divisions this year:
  • Men’s Experienced – For teams comprised of experienced level players who may have Junior A, B, C, NCAA Division I and III College, Non-Varsity College (ACHA), Midget Major, Prep or Varsity High School playing experience. Teams may be comparable to traditional low "A", "B" or high "C" level adult house league teams. 
  • Men’s Intermediate – For team comprised of less experienced adult players who may have high school, competitive midget or Junior C playing experience, or limited youth playing experience with several years playing as an adult. These teams may be comparable to traditional “C” or “D” level adult house league teams. 
  • Women’s Open – An open division for women 18 years of age or older. All experience levels are welcome, and our goal is to have as much parity among the teams as possible. Per the official roster form, please indicate the highest level of playing experience based on your strongest player. 
  • Battle of the Badges (Reserved) – The “Battle of the Badges” division is an invitation-only division reserved for teams consisting of firefighters and police officers.
And as always, our primary task-at-hand is creating and preserving the best experience for the players. To that end, we are working diligently on securing all of the great perks for our players to ensure they are taken care of:
  • Complimentary food and beverages
  • Game jerseys and socks
  • Awards and prizes
  • The Skills Competition
  • And more...

From the Public Perspective


There will something for everyone throughout the weekend, in addition to coming out to watch your favorite amateur hockey players!

Just a few of the things we have in store on Saturday June 9th:
  • Silent and live auction
  • Stick-and-puck for kids with Columbus Blue Jackets mascot "Stinger" (TBD)
  • Kids' charity game
  • Autograph session with CBJ players (TBD)
 And, we have added a very exciting component to the weekend - a kids' charity game (ages 6-8)!  Like our adult amateur players, the kids will each get a game jersey and socks, and have a great time playing for a great cause!  With many details yet to be determined, the first 30 skaters and 2 goalies to raise at least $75 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will get to play in the game.  And the child that raises the most money will receive a tournament jersey autographed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Stay tuned, more to come on this one!

From the Sponsor's Perspective


As with last year, we have many great sponsorship opportunities available.  We know securing sponsorship dollars is the most difficult task at hand, and therefore we have added several additional opportunities and several exciting marketing, branding and exposure elements for our sponsors.
  • Presenting Sponsor - Exclusive opportunity to be the event's title sponsor!
  • Play-Maker Sponsor - Six opportunities available!
  • Franchise Sponsor - 16 opportunities available to sponsor a team!
  • Supporting Sponsor - Unlimited opportunities to support the event with a donation of goods, services, auction items or cash donations.
  • "Goals for a Cure" - Make a pledge per goal scored!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@MakeCFHistory), on Facebook and of course our event website.

We are looking forward to another great weekend, playing a great sport for a great cause - and we hope to see you all there!!