16 teams, 3 days, 1 goal: Make CF History

Four years ago, when I sat down at a Tim Hortons with my good friend Chuck Scott to discuss what it would take to create a hockey tournament to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I envisioned 16 teams coming together for a weekend of fun and hockey to raise money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis.  A few cups of coffee and some rough doughnut-napkin math later, the Make CF History Charity Classic was born.

The 2013 Make CF History Charity Classic, our 3rd annual event, was everything I had envisioned that Sunday morning four years ago - 16 teams, coming together for a 3-day tournament weekend, all sharing in the one goal behind the Make CF History campaign: finding a cure for CF.  For the first time, we had three full divisions to accommodate three different skill levels - with teams from Dayton, Cleveland, St. Clair, MI, and Columbus filling the divisions. 

Fund Raising Perspective

This year we asked the players to fund raise instead of paying a flat team fee in order to participate.  And fund raise they did - helping us raise over $51,000 as of the time of this writing, with more money still trickling in.  

Our top fund raising team was Chuck Scott's Hatrick Swayze (right), who raised an event leading $6,185!  Thank you guys!

When I think of the weekend from this perspective, it illustrates one very important fact:  although we were 16 different teams wearing 16 different jerseys (a formality in order to distinguish two teams from each other during the games), we were really one team - a team consisting of 235 players joined together to participate in the fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.  And for this, I am so very grateful for the players and their time and energy they put into being a part of our 2013 Make CF History Charity Classic.  We will always be Team MakeCFHistory.

The Player Perspective

The 'charity classic' always has been, and always will be, about putting the players first.  It is about creating an event that provides the players a first-class experience, such that they come back year after year.  This includes more than just hockey - it includes free "SWAG" (Stuff We All Get), complimentary food and beverages, game jersey and socks, a Skills Competition and places for the players to hang out together before and after the games.  

The player's pride and enthusiasm of playing in our event is evidenced in the pictures and comments we see on Facebook and Twitter, whether it be updating their profile pictures of them in action from the weekend, or tweeting pictures (left) and positive comments (below) of their time while at the event.  

I wish every weekend was @MakeCFHistory classic!!
— Tyler Moats (@gafn11) June 12, 2013

 
Thank you players for all of your support and participation - without you there is no event, and we hope to see you all again next year!


And now, the rest of the story...

The Ceremonial Puck Drops

This year, we were blessed to have four very special people with us to drop pucks in our ceremonial opening face-offs to kick off our Friday night games.  All four of our "VIP" guests brought to life the purpose of our weekend as they each are living with CF.

Kate Hennessey (left) kicked off the event by dropping the puck before our first game of the weekend.  Kate is the daughter of Marie Hennessey, who is a member of the Board of Director for the CF Foundation of Central Ohio and is the Chair Person of the Fore-Love Golf Outing (taking place September 9, 2013 at Brookside Country Club).



Thomas Mims (right), a Sports Journalism student from Kentucky, came all the way up from Lexington to join us.





Taylor Monturo (left) joined us with her parents from right here in Columbus.



And Colin Mong (right), a CF patient awaiting a double-lung transplant from the Cleveland Clinic, capped off the night by dropping the puck before the opening game of his namesake team, Team Colin, who dedicated their tournament to Colin.  Team Colin would end up winning the Experienced Division, which is a fitting outcome for a team who dedicated their weekend to Colin - who we are all now rooting for to "win" in his battle against CF.

The Lady from Mansfield, OH

At one point in the morning on Saturday, I received an email notification of a donation made on my player page from an "Iona Flores".  I did not know of anyone by this name, and quickly wrote it off to someone who intended to make a donation to another player and made it to me in error.  Later that afternoon, I walked into the lobby of the rink and noticed a lady at the check-in table talking with the staff from the CF Foundation.  As I approached them, the lady turned to me and asked, "Are you Chad?"  "Yes I am", I replied.  "I am Iona Flora", she exclaimed as she reached to shake my hand.  "You made a donation on my player page!", I countered.  "Yes, I did.", she replied.  I couldn't help but forgo a handshake to give Iona a big hug.  She went on to tell us that she had found us on Facebook, and that she came down from Mansfield to be a part of our event.  She also shared that she has two grandchildren living with CF in Texas.  It is moments like these, and people like Iona, who make the Make CF History Charity Classic so special - it brings together people from all over (hockey fans or not) who share in our aspiration to find a cure for CF.  And it is moments like these that make me question the 'fact' that CF effects only 30,000 people in the US - when it seems that most everyone I meet and know have a connection to CF.  Thank you Iona for being there this weekend, and for making my weekend so special.

The Kids Charity Game

This year we ended the weekend with our 2nd Annual Kid's Charity Game.  We hosted two teams consisting of Mites and future Squirts who, like the adult players, were asked to fund raise instead of paying a flat fee.  And, like the adult players, fund raise they did - raising nearly $2,000!   

The game was kicked off with a very special ceremonial opening face-off puck drop by CF patient Serena Scilia (below), who's dad Sam also treated the kids and parents to a very heart-felt explanation of Cystic Fibrosis before the game got started.  And this year, all of the kids jerseys were numbered with the number "65".  Sam eloquently explained the significance of the number "65" to the kids and parents - which is of course symbolic of "65 Roses", what most kids often call cystic fibrosis because "65 roses" is easier to pronounce.   

Thank you to all of the parents and kids who participated in this very special aspect of the weekend.  And, a very special thank you to Sam Scilia and his daughter Serena for making the event that much more special.

Friends and family - new and old

The best part of organizing an event like the Make CF History Charity Classic is getting to see my friends and family, who come from near and far to be there.  With that, I also get to meet so many incredible people who by the end of the weekend are my new found "family".

To our incredible Organizing Committee, all of the volunteers, the players, our sponsors, and to the staff of the Chiller Ice Rink - I wish I could one-by-one shake everyone's hand, give you all a hug, and thank you for making this year's 'charity classic' so special - and for joining Team MakeCFHistory.  

We will be the generation that finds the cure for CF.

THANK YOU to everyone who supported the 2013 Make CF History Charity Classic!

Why are we doing this 'Charity Classic' thing?

I often struggle (seriously struggle) with how to best present this thing we call "The Make CF History Charity Classic". And with that, I often question/challenge myself as to how I can be more effective at making sure that the Make CF History Charity Classic is an event that everyone - from the players to the volunteers - feels proud and energized to be a part of.  And in doing so, I keep coming back to this fundamental question: Why are we doing this?

In considering that question, which at times haunts me, I wanted (needed) to be sure that the answer to this question is far beyond the incredible willingness and generosity of the organizing committee and players to support me and this event, which I conjured up over a coffee and doughnut with my good friend Chuck Scott at a Tim Horton's one Sunday afternoon (Seriously, that's how this idea was hatched).

Then, this week, I received this video from my sister Sarah, who has two daughters who were born with CF.   And, bingo, there was the answer - right there, plain as day. Seven minutes and 8 seconds later, as if a calculator reminding me that two plus two still equals four, I was reminded of "why":



This video is courtesy of the Chicago chapter of the CF Foundation. It features my sister's husband RV, and their daughter Gabby (my God Daughter, and the younger of my two nieces with CF), among others who are effected by CF.  Their message, so simple yet so powerful: our efforts are making a difference, and with drugs like Kalydeco we are close...so close to finding a cure.  

And now I know (again) why, and for whom, our "Make CF History Charity Classic" exists. This video reminds us that we are making a difference. It reminds us that because of our efforts, we will be a part of the generation that finds the cure - and when the cure is found, we will have been "on the ice" when the winning goal is scored. We are that close! 

THANK YOU to everyone who supports our Make CF History Charity Classic and the CF Foundation, and for making a difference in the lives of those affected by CF.

2013 Charity Classic putting the 'fun' in fund raising

The 2013 Make CF History Charity Classic is off to a great start, with 12 teams already registered for this year's event.  Our goal is to host a total of 16 teams, and we are prepared to expand the divisions if needed.

A new twist to this year's event requires our players to raise a minimum of $125.00 in order to participate.  In prior years, we simply required a flat team entry fee. Involving the players in the fund raising efforts was an idea suggested by the players in last year's post-event player feedback survey.

With the players now actively participating in our fund raising efforts, we've added some fun and friendly competition to the process as well.  This year we will be giving away great prizes to the top individual fund raiser, as well as to the top team fund raiser.  And with our new and improved event website on cff.org, each player will have their own personal fund raising page to help promote their efforts to friends, family and colleagues.  All donations can be processed online, and the players and teams can track their progress leading right up to the event.  It doesn't get much easier than that!  All donations go directly to the CF Foundation of Central Ohio.  

As for me, I am not exempt of the fund raising requirement (as the Event Chair and Tournament Director), and I have set a personal goal of raising $1,500.00.  My personal fund raising page is ready go, and I plan on exceeding my goal (of course)!

Our total fund raising goal this year is $50,000, and with the growing number of teams and players we expect nothing less than to achieve our goal.  We want to thank the players, and especially the team captains, for their support and participation! 

Happy fund raising, everyone!

ABOUT THE 2013 MAKE CF HISTORY CHARITY CLASSIC
What:  Men's and Women's Adult Amateur hockey tournament (USA Hockey sanctioned), including:

• Kids' Pond Hockey Tournament (for Mites and Mini-mites)
• Skills Competition for the adult players
• Silent and Live Auction
• Public Skate
• Stick-and-puck for kids with Blue Jacket Mascot "Stinger" (TBA)
• Blue Jackets Autograph Session (TBA)

When:  Friday June 7- Sunday June 9, 2013
 
Where:
Chiller Easton Ice Rink
3600 Chiller Lane, Columbus Ohio 43219
614-475-7575
www.thechiller.com

Why: To benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and cystic fibrosis research

Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@MakeCFHistory)

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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!

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!