Happy Monday, CBJ Friends. If you’re anything like I am, Monday is just another collection of 24 hours that’s getting in the way of our first Blue Jackets Game. I’m already anxious for the pre-game festivities, another meetup during the first intermission, and (hopefully!) our first Jackets win. Something that has also become part of our pre-game ritual, is participating in the 50/50 Raffle at Nationwide Arena. It goes something like this…
*walk through “security” holding your jersey up to your arm pits
*grab at free swag being offered while simultaneously wondering what you’ll do with said swag throughout the game (I mean holding a box with a bobblehead in it for an entire game is annoying)
*Alison runs to get a drink
*Alison is waylaid by Stephen running (in the opposite direction) towards the first 50/50 Raffle rep he sees
*Stephen throws anywhere from 2-5 dollars at said rep
STEPHEN: “This is the winning ticket!”
ALISON: *eye roll*
STEPHEN: “I’m telling you!”
ALISON: “You do this every game and you NEVER. WIN”
STEPHEN: “This is the game!”
We then proceed to sit at our seats, and when the winning number is called, Stephen fumbles through his pockets excitedly only to see that, guess what, he did not win, and the process repeats itself game after game. At some time, I will point out that had he just saved all the money he’s spent on the 50/50 raffles by now, he’d have equal $$s to some of the prizes awarded. Stephen will ignore me.
BUT THIS WEEK WILL BE DIFFERENT.
This week I will gladly watch Stephen buy as many tickets as he wants, I’ll probably buy some and I’ll encourage you to do the same. You see, the 50/50 Raffle is already a great idea, but this week, the cause is something near and dear to my heart.
Last year at this time, the St. Charles Cardinal Hockey team was preparing for another season. Dominic Gregory was a sophomore at St.Charles starting his second year of school and hockey and attending captain’s practices for conditioning. Dominic became sick to his stomach at school and tragically, later that night, went into cardiac arrest, a coma, and eventually died as a result of a twisted intestine. He was at school one day, and was gone the next. In less than 24 hours, everyone’s world changed. And no one knew what to do or how to process it. The team attended a funeral before they played their first game.
As a friend of the St. Charles Hockey coach, I saw the anguish this brought to the team, the coaches and the St. Charles community. Now, a year later, Dominic’s family has began the process of creating an endowed scholarship in Dominic’s name (Dominic’s brother also attended St. Charles and played hockey there). A portion of the proceeds raised by this week’s 50/50 Raffle will go toward this scholarship. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds raised will go towards the St. Charles program to defray the costs of hockey for the team. Dominic’s parents will be among the 50/50 Raffle reps as well other parents and coaches from the program. They will also have a table outside section 120 for people to learn more about the charity.
Look, I know many of us (my household included) often participate in the 50/50 Raffle week in week out simply for the sport of it, but there’s always value in knowing who your dollars help (all good causes), and this Friday, of all days, I wanted to let you know that, should you choose to play, you’re helping a good group of people turn something horrible into something positive.
Please consider showing your support for the youth hockey community, the St. Charles Hockey Community, and the Gregory family by participating in this Friday’s 50/50 Raffle. And if you win, let me know! (It only helps bolster my argument to Stephen 😉 )
Let’s Go Jackets! #CallToArms
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