Louisville Charity Tournament

By Jim Rzonca

Hello everybody. I'm back from Louisville. What a great fun charity fund-raising table hockey event! This was a very successful Charity Dinner / STIGA Tournament for the CANADA CHILDHOOD CANCER FOUNDATION held at the snazzy Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky put on by the RV Dealers Association of Canada. Over 350 guests were at this dinner in Louisville at $60 a crack. They were from all over Canada. From Prince Edward Island to Vancouver. I flew into Louisville at 1:30 pm and checked into the room on the 10th floor.

For me, the work started at 3 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom which was very presidential indeed! I started opening, prepping and setting up the 6 brand-new NHL STIGA games sent to Eleanor Hamm by Garry Butler. This tournament was NHL PLAYING FIGURES ONLY, folks. No INTERNATIONAL teams allowed. Same style playing figure on both sides of the table. Players were taped down and games secured with bottle caps filled with liquid nails on banquet tables. Underside tracks and gears were prepped neatly with silicone spray and the surfaces were Windexed. I was joined by Ron Marsik arond 4:30 who made a long 7-hour drive thru construction zones to get to Louisville for this event. Ron was very helpful in helping me finish the set-up and reffed his table of games thru the entire event. THANKYOU RON! The 6 brand new games were now set-up and the final touches were added. We decorated the games and tables with large Canadian Table Hockey Association stickers. This was a Canadian show, so you could say it was a CTHA event held in Louisville, Kentucky.

After set-ups we went to the huge, fancy executive suite complete with living room, 2 big tv's, 2 phones, bar, fridge, masseuse and enough room for four people. We got dressed up for the festivities and on to the event in the Grand Ballroom. Drinks started at 6:30. Ice-cold Heineken's went down smooth. About an hour later, we were seated at the head tables as guests of honor and the corporate speeches begun. After that it was tender filet minion, shrimp and spaghetti for the main course. Desert was more Heineken! Dinner was followed by a Don Cherry/Ron Maclain skit which was very entertaining. Then it was time for the donating! Its $AUCTION$ time folks! YEE HA$! Here's how it worked: 350 people in the room. Only 12 NHL Style playing figures teams to be auctioned off to play in this tournament. Tables were set as rivals where possible. Detroit ~ Chicago, Boston ~ Montreal, Edmonton ~ Calgary. Some other teams were Ottawa, Toronto, Philadelphia, Mew York Rangers, etc. All Canadian AND original 6 teams were on the STIGA tables and ready to be auctioned off and played. The auctioneer started each team off at 100 dollars. The first team goes off. It's the Vancouver Canucks up and goes cheaply at $400. Things pick up momentum from there. Detroit's turn. They go for over $1,100! Now we're rollin....man! Then it was time for the Toronto Maple Leafs folks. Bidding starts at 100 and the bidding war starts between four groups of bidders! When the hammer dropped, Team Torono Maple Leafs entry into the tournament ends at a whoppng $3,650!! With jaw dropped, I fell off my chair but did not spill a drop! $3,650! That was the most expensive team and the room was a buzz as I had goose bumps! The second highest sold for around $2,200. It was the Montreal Canadians.

OK, now it's tournament time! But before we start, it's gambling time folks! Pick your team! Up to 100 tickets at 5 dollars a crack are sold to anybody. Buy as may as you wish. The total is split. One-half going to the Charity the other half gets split by the winners that have the winning teams' tickets. Team owners in most cases asked their employees or friends to play for them so it turned out that the entire event was doubles BUT any player could play by him/herself if they wanted to. AND a team was allowed to have up to 8 players rotating if they wish. There was one pretty female player; the rest were men. I ran the tournament with a microphone, help from Ron Marsik as Ref/Puck Dropper, 2 other refs and the mistro at the CD player loaded with Eric Krol's tournament CD. The tournament was driven by Eric's voice and things went smooth as pucks were dropped by refs wearing ref jerseys in all games. 12 teams are set. That means that the 6 teams that win their best of three series will move on. All series were best of 3. Now we get down to the final 3 teams. The team with the best plus-minus ratio gets the bye as 2 teams Square off for the right to play in the Championship series. The final 3 teams were Montreal Canadiens being played for by 2 French-speaking men from Quebec. The Vancouver Canucks being played for by Rejean Bolduc from Beaumount, Quebec with teammate Michel Levesque of St-Nicolas Quebec. And the money heavy Toronto Maple Leafs played for by Rob Sneyd and Cal Nicholson of Burlington Ontario. So far in my eyes the best players in the tournament were from Quebec. Them Quebec guys played with lots of PASSION as they the Quebec players looked best. BUT Montreal was defeated by the $3,650 Maple Leafs in the deciding game of the series to move on to the finals vs the Quebec drivin $400 Vancouver Canucks. The series was tied at a game a piece as the final game of the tournament was to be played for all the marbles. Passes to the Canadian golf tour, a pretty sterling silver cup and Hockey Night In Louisville Table Hockey bragging rights! The tables wre jammed with fans crawling the glass. More fans than at any STIGA Championship series I've witnessed. It reminded me of the Bud Light Bubble Boys Championships held in Anaheim, Californa. Lots of onlookers. These Canadians were having a blast in Louisville! Lots of laughs, SWEATING, hootin and hollerin! The place was ABUZZ with all the onlooking Canadians touting these finals as a match between ONTARIO vs QUEBEC! The Champions of the Hockey Night in Louisville is the French drivin Vancouver Canucks! Their right wing to center was the go to play and was done in Fantastic Fashion time and time again. CONGRATULATIONS to Rejean Bolduc of Beaumont Quebec and Teamate Michel Levesque of St-Nicolas Quebec! They were scoring a high total of goals in all games and I think they only lost 1 or 2 games. Quebec players on this night prove once again that they are quite possibly best in Canada on the hockey tables.

It was getting late. There was an awards presentation ceremony on the stage as it was photo time. Winners got their awards as me and Ron were given nice mementos as gratitude of of efforts. Things finished arond 12:15. Ron Marsik helped me dismantle the games. We put them in their boxes before me and Ron went to the streets of Louisville. Eleanor sold the games on the spot to who ever wanted one with the money going to the charity. Some went for over $100, others for $40. It all goes to the Canadian Childhood Cancer Foundation. If any of you would like to join this fundrasing effort every little bit DOES help so (((PLEASE))) contact Eleanor Hamm at (604)718-6325 and contribute to her fine efforts. This was Table Hockey with a twist folks. What a great time we had! The players, fans, onlookers and workers surrounded these STIGA tables. What a rush it was to see this great FUN event go down!

P.S. Special thanks to Ron Marsik who was my Verty Helful as my WORKING partner on this ocasion. Garry Butler, Eric Krol, and Gentalman of the Year CTHA president Ron Chesick.


Photos (TO COME LATER) Jim Rzonca and the lovely Eleonor Hamm of Richmond British Columbia in the Grand Ball Room just after the STIGA games were set-up and ready to go! http://www.picture-at.com/pics/15311.jpg The Grand Ball Room of the Gault House Hotel in Louisville Kentucky. This venue was the Classiest venue ive ever witnessed for a table hockey event! http://www.picture-at.com/pics/15316.jpg Dinner Tables are set in the Grand Ball room at the Gault House Hotel in Louisville Kentucky. http://www.picture-at.com/pics/15313.jpg Good Buddies Ron Marsik and Jim Rzonca running the Table Hockey porton of this Great Canadian Charity Event. http://www.picture-at.com/pics/15308.jpg Toronto Mapleleafs team of Rob Sneyd & Cal Nicholson from Burlington Ontario played great and finished second in the event. http://www.picture-at.com/pics/15315.jpg Ron Marsik of the Lemont Table Hockey League flashes a smile as he refs and works table A. Its Toronto vs Calgary! http://www.picture-at.com/pics/15307.jpg Montreal vs Toronto in the Semi Final series. http://www.picture-at.com/pics/15305.jpg

Official Press Release

RVDA FINALS ~ Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vancouver Canucks!

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Vancouver Canucks Team of Rejean Bolduc
from Beaumont Quebec and Teamate Michel Levesque from St-Nicolas Quebec win the
Hockey Night in Louisville Table Hockey Turnament! They are presented with the
shiney RVDA Cup and the tickets / free pass to the Canadian Open Golf tour!

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Smileing Phil Hamilton and Ron Marsik takes some time play STIGA in Nashville
Tennesee on his way back to Chicago. Looks like they are havin some fun!

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MEDIA RELEASE � FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2004

Canadian RV Industry Personnel show support for 

Childhood Cancer Foundation Canada

 

Richmond, BC � The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada is pleased to be able to present the Childhood Cancer Foundation ~ Candlelighters Canada with a donation in the amount of $13, 384.26, representing the funds raised at its 2004 Canada Night Dinner in Louisville, Kentucky.  

 

Close to 360 RV Industry personnel attended the RVDA�s annual Canada Night Dinner in Louisville, on November 29, 2004.  Attendees were treated to a gourmet dinner followed by a table hockey tournament entitled �Hockey Night in Louisville� where 12 NHL teams were auctioned off to raise funds for the Childhood Cancer Foundation Canada.  Dealers and Suppliers alike tried to outbid one another for a chance to play in this extraordinary tournament.  �What a wonderful way to raise funds� states RVDA of Canada President Kim Brown.  �We were able to combine our love for hockey with the desire to help Canadian families currently fighting the battle against cancer.  I am very proud to have been a part of this event.�

 

Ron Chesick, president of the Canadian Table Hockey Association also reaffirms this sentiment.  "It is an honour for table hockey to be associated with fund raising events and I am especially pleased that the cause will be benefiting sick children.  I would like to extend a special thanks to Jim Rzonca and Ron Marsik from the Lemont, IL Table Hockey League, who were on-site to help with the evening's festivities."   

 

The Childhood Cancer Foundation Canada is the only national Canadian charity that dedicates all of their resources and efforts to positively impact the lives of children with cancer and their families from coast to coast.  The Foundation�s main interests are the research and advocacy of childhood cancer that will ultimately lead to a cure to this disease.  The Foundation also endeavours to ensure that every child with cancer in Canada will have equal resources available.  

 

The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada will once again be hosting its Canada Night dinner on November 28, 2005 at the Galt House hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.  The tradition of raising proceeds for a national charity will be continued with another entertaining event. Canada Night Dinner is held on the evening prior to the opening of the National RV Show.  This year, a record 14,450 people registered for the Nov. 29-Dec. 2 industry-only show at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC).  

 

The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada (RVDA) is a professional trade association for companies involved in the RV industry.  It is an affiliation of provincial and regional associations, representing the interests of our members by providing information and developing programs to enable the industry to realize its maximum potential. 

 

Thank you to the support of the following corporate sponsors who make Canada Night possible: Federated Insurance Company of Canada, Curomax Corporation, Atlas Trailer Coach Products, Aviva Elite Insurance, Bombardier Capital Ltd., Coast Distribution System, Danzy Distributors Ltd, First Canadian Insurance, GE Commercial Finance, General Coach, IA Pacific Life/SAL Group, MacKinnon Calderwood Advertising, Newmar Corporation, Northern Lite Manufacturing, Peartree Software Inc., Scotiabank, Textron Financial Services, Triple E R.V. Ltd., Dometic Distribution Ltd., RVHotlineCanada.com.  

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