"Dude Where's My Hair??"

I have some info on a few special hockey related events to pass along.

First the Jacket biggest little fan Coryn will participating in a show called "Dude Where's My Hair??" on Monday February 8th @ 7:00 p.m. EST at the Abbey Theater (inside Dublin Rec center).

If you recall Coryn suffers from a aggressive form of blood cancer called Acute Lymphoblastic T Cell Leukemia. The great news is that Coryn finished off her chemo in July of 07 and has never looked back. All signs indicate that she has "beaten the monster".

You can read more about Coryn's story here.

This show is for kid's like Coryn who battle deadly disease everyday. A few yet-to-be-named Jacket players will be attending and if Coryn has anything to say about it one Jared Boll will be in the "lineup"!

The June show sold out even without the Jackets so this should be a hot ticket. Once I get ticket info I will pass that along.

The annual Hats for Heroes game will be October 17th. Coryn and her mom Cathy will be one of the families "working" for the Jackets Foundation that evening. Please stop on by and show your support for this great program!

Finally here are some details on a blood drive in honor of Ryan Salmons:

On Saturday, December 19th, from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm, the # 3 “Refuse To Lose” blood drive in honor of Ryan will occur at Memorial Baptist Church, located at 2435 Eakin Road, Columbus. December is an extremely challenging time for the American Red Cross (ARC). Yet the need during the winter season is constant.

Presently, 75 donor slots have been reserved for this event. Based on demand, there is some flexibility to add more. However, because ARC resources are limited and must be allocated well in advance, interested donors need to register and sign up via the ARC e-donor link by October 19th. If slots are unaccounted for two months in advance of the drive, ARC resources could be reallocated to other drives occurring across Central Ohio. We anticipate slots may fill fast, so please reserve yours now, don’t delay. For your convenience, the e-donor link is located on this home page.

1. Click Here to Sign Up Today!*
http://www.bloodsaveslives.org/

2. Then, click the "Schedule Your Blood Donation" link (red button on left)
3. Enter the Sponsor Code: ryansalmons

In addition to the blood drive, a Columbus Blue Jacket prize package will be raffled off at the event. The winner will receive four tickets (upper bowl – attack zone) to see the Jacket vs. Chicago on Saturday, January 16th @ 7 pm. Additionally, the winning party will be treated to a dinner buffet before the game in the Time Warner HD Lounge and receive four signed “Hats for Heroes” hats and a visit from Stinger during the game. Tickets cost $5 each or 3 for $10 and contributions are tax deductible.

Raffle tickets will only be sold at the event. But you do not have to donate blood to purchase tickets. So, if unable to donate, you can still stop by and show your support by purchasing tickets to win this wonderful prize. The winning ticket will be drawn after the event and you need not be present to win. Lastly, #3 Ryan Salmons T-shirts will be available for purchase at $10 each, while supplies last.

All proceeds from both the raffle and t-shirt sales will benefit the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. Fliers have been created to promote the event. If you would like a flier to post or forward to others that may be interested, or if you experience problems with the e-donor registration site, contact Chris Tucker at chris_p_tucker@ham.honda.com.

These are all just a sample of some of the things that go on off the ice that the Jackets and families like Coryn and Cathy participate in every single year. Unfortunately many of these programs don't get the press, promotion or awareness that they deserve.

I few dollars here, a little word of mouth there and perhaps some volunteer time can really make all the difference for some of these programs.

-LTL