The original post was deleted in error. Here is a repost:
To: The Yard
From: The Gift Committee -- jleves, Dogbreath2U, Fishy and Deepster
The Goal:
The committee read through the hundreds of posts in several threads and tried to identify the most important desires of the Boneyard:
1) To communicate our thanks and appreciation to Coach Calhoun for all the joy he has brought to us.
2) To identify a beneficiary that was personally important to the coach.
3) To provide a tangible gift that was associated directly with the members of the Boneyard.
4) A significant portion of people wanted to use the Foundation for their donation.
5) The Gift Committee wanted the donations to be processed by a professional organization to properly account for and direct the donations.
The Gift:
The Committee tried to consider all suggestions, filtering them down to what made the most sense in terms of cost, sentiment and scope. When we felt that we that we had gotten to the core of the popular sentiment, we were able to leverage our connections and seek the coach's input directly. His response was crystal clear...
He would like us to donate to The Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center.
In 1998, after both the coach and his wife both lost parents to heart disease, they established the Calhoun Cardiology Research Fund. In 2003, in recognition of the magnitude and generosity of the Calhouns' support, UConn announced that the cardiology center would be named in their honor. The cardiac center is at the very heart of the Calhouns many charitable efforts.
After receiving guidance from the coach, we discussed our intentions with a representative of the UConn Foundation. The Foundation then consulted with the head of the Cardiac Center and presented us with what we consider to be an very worthy tribute to the coach. And it's a challenge as well…
A priority need of the Cardiac Center is bypass pumps. As you would imagine about a vital piece of medical equipment, they do not not come cheap. Then again, a tribute for a legend shouldn't come cheap.
So, here it is…
We intend to raise $25,000 for the Cardiac Center so that they may put a new bypass pump into operation. Our tribute to everything that Jim Calhoun has done for UConn and our community will be something that will be saving lives for years to come. If we raise $25,000, the center gets a pump. What if we fail to raise $25,000? Let's not fail.
The Plan:
With the able assistance of the UConn Foundation and the team that runs the Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk, we've establish a plan and a procedure to help us raise the $25,000 and also allow us to present the coach with our tribute.
1) The UConn Foundation will collect and direct your donations. They have established a donation page for us and will help all of us publicize our efforts via social media. (Everyone can help by posting our drive on Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Having the Foundation manage donations is significant for several reasons…
- It is a safe way to donate and allows you to receive the proper tax benefits of your donation.
- There are matching gift programs available through certain employers, allowing us to potentially increase the total of our donation. See the donation page for more information on how to gain matching funds.
- We have professional resources to help with web page design and social media. This will allow us to reach a much larger audience than we would reach through our own grassroots type effort.
- The Foundation is an enthusiastic partner. How enthusiastic? Our first official donation is from John Sponauer, our liaison at the Foundation.
2) The team at Gold, Orluk & Partners have agreed to let us present Coach with the donation on stage at this year's Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk. This provides us with a first hand opportunity to make it a more personal gift by presenting it directly to Coach in person this June. So, instead of just clicking a <submit> button, we will be handing Coach the big cardboard check with the photo op and all.
Additionally, the folks at Gold, Orluk & Partners will let donors to this effort participate in the Walk without the usual $30 registration fee. (Walkers would still have to raise the the minimum donation ($100 last year) for the Carol and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UConn Health Center.) So, basically you'd donate to Coach's gift through the Foundation….then get your friends to donate to the walk through our Calhoun Walk for Cancer Challenge.
With ample time for us to plan for this event, we could certainly use the power of the Yard to make this a very special day. We would design team t-shirts, have a giant thank-you card made with all of us signing it, etc.
And then we'd just have a proper Boneyard party after the Walk and Ride.
We feel like this combination offers a win-win scenario and hits on all the truly major points that came through in the hundreds of posts on the topic.
· The Cardiac Center is personally very important to Coach Calhoun.
· The Foundation will organize, direct and attribute our donations.
· We've set a lofty goal and have a chance to re-capture some of that old-timey Boneyard magic
· We get to personally be in attendance when Coach receives our gift.
· The Cancer Walk gives us a chance to get together as a group and it's been far too long since that has happened. And, let’s be honest, if Coach can ride 50 miles at his age, we can certainly get a large group of walkers/riders to show him our thanks.
And now...
Our Donation Page
http://www.friends.uconn.edu/the-boneyard
More information:
The Jim and Pat Calhoun Cardiology Center
http://www.coachjimcalhoun.com/community/jim-and-pat-calhoun-cardiology-center
The UConn Foundation
http://www.foundation.UConn.edu/about-the-foundation.html
The 2012 Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk
http://calhounridewalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1001568
To: The Yard
From: The Gift Committee -- jleves, Dogbreath2U, Fishy and Deepster
The Goal:
The committee read through the hundreds of posts in several threads and tried to identify the most important desires of the Boneyard:
1) To communicate our thanks and appreciation to Coach Calhoun for all the joy he has brought to us.
2) To identify a beneficiary that was personally important to the coach.
3) To provide a tangible gift that was associated directly with the members of the Boneyard.
4) A significant portion of people wanted to use the Foundation for their donation.
5) The Gift Committee wanted the donations to be processed by a professional organization to properly account for and direct the donations.
The Gift:
The Committee tried to consider all suggestions, filtering them down to what made the most sense in terms of cost, sentiment and scope. When we felt that we that we had gotten to the core of the popular sentiment, we were able to leverage our connections and seek the coach's input directly. His response was crystal clear...
He would like us to donate to The Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center.
In 1998, after both the coach and his wife both lost parents to heart disease, they established the Calhoun Cardiology Research Fund. In 2003, in recognition of the magnitude and generosity of the Calhouns' support, UConn announced that the cardiology center would be named in their honor. The cardiac center is at the very heart of the Calhouns many charitable efforts.
After receiving guidance from the coach, we discussed our intentions with a representative of the UConn Foundation. The Foundation then consulted with the head of the Cardiac Center and presented us with what we consider to be an very worthy tribute to the coach. And it's a challenge as well…
A priority need of the Cardiac Center is bypass pumps. As you would imagine about a vital piece of medical equipment, they do not not come cheap. Then again, a tribute for a legend shouldn't come cheap.
So, here it is…
We intend to raise $25,000 for the Cardiac Center so that they may put a new bypass pump into operation. Our tribute to everything that Jim Calhoun has done for UConn and our community will be something that will be saving lives for years to come. If we raise $25,000, the center gets a pump. What if we fail to raise $25,000? Let's not fail.
The Plan:
With the able assistance of the UConn Foundation and the team that runs the Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk, we've establish a plan and a procedure to help us raise the $25,000 and also allow us to present the coach with our tribute.
1) The UConn Foundation will collect and direct your donations. They have established a donation page for us and will help all of us publicize our efforts via social media. (Everyone can help by posting our drive on Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Having the Foundation manage donations is significant for several reasons…
- It is a safe way to donate and allows you to receive the proper tax benefits of your donation.
- There are matching gift programs available through certain employers, allowing us to potentially increase the total of our donation. See the donation page for more information on how to gain matching funds.
- We have professional resources to help with web page design and social media. This will allow us to reach a much larger audience than we would reach through our own grassroots type effort.
- The Foundation is an enthusiastic partner. How enthusiastic? Our first official donation is from John Sponauer, our liaison at the Foundation.
2) The team at Gold, Orluk & Partners have agreed to let us present Coach with the donation on stage at this year's Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk. This provides us with a first hand opportunity to make it a more personal gift by presenting it directly to Coach in person this June. So, instead of just clicking a <submit> button, we will be handing Coach the big cardboard check with the photo op and all.
Additionally, the folks at Gold, Orluk & Partners will let donors to this effort participate in the Walk without the usual $30 registration fee. (Walkers would still have to raise the the minimum donation ($100 last year) for the Carol and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UConn Health Center.) So, basically you'd donate to Coach's gift through the Foundation….then get your friends to donate to the walk through our Calhoun Walk for Cancer Challenge.
With ample time for us to plan for this event, we could certainly use the power of the Yard to make this a very special day. We would design team t-shirts, have a giant thank-you card made with all of us signing it, etc.
And then we'd just have a proper Boneyard party after the Walk and Ride.
We feel like this combination offers a win-win scenario and hits on all the truly major points that came through in the hundreds of posts on the topic.
· The Cardiac Center is personally very important to Coach Calhoun.
· The Foundation will organize, direct and attribute our donations.
· We've set a lofty goal and have a chance to re-capture some of that old-timey Boneyard magic
· We get to personally be in attendance when Coach receives our gift.
· The Cancer Walk gives us a chance to get together as a group and it's been far too long since that has happened. And, let’s be honest, if Coach can ride 50 miles at his age, we can certainly get a large group of walkers/riders to show him our thanks.
And now...
Our Donation Page
http://www.friends.uconn.edu/the-boneyard
More information:
The Jim and Pat Calhoun Cardiology Center
http://www.coachjimcalhoun.com/community/jim-and-pat-calhoun-cardiology-center
The UConn Foundation
http://www.foundation.UConn.edu/about-the-foundation.html
The 2012 Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk
http://calhounridewalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1001568
