The MJB Foundation

Note: This post is cross posted at The Life of Jimmer as Neither Rain nor Sleet nor Snowpocolypse 2010.

Sitting in my office watching the snowfall tonight and wondering just what kind of impact it is going to have on our very first Bowl for Joy tournament tomorrow.

In 15 years of  The MJB / Golf for Joy we’ve had one 10 minute rainstorm, and one rain shortened tourney that didn’t happen until our 14th year.

First year of Bowl for Joy…

I’m looking at Snowpocalypse 2010. Well, that’s what they’re calling it around here it seems.

We sort of fumbled things with the rain in our 14th year. I guess Mother Nature decided we needed to be tested right out of the box in our first year of Bowl for Joy.

That’s okay. I can handle it. I know that a lot of folks are waiting for me to make the call. Some are probably wondering why I haven’t called things off already. After all the forecasts…

Are exactly that – forecasts. I deal with what I can see when I need to see it. Right now, I don’t need to see anything. It’s not like anybody is catching a plane to be here. Our furthest travelers are coming from the Cincinnati area. They will have plenty of notice.

I’m also a bit of an optimist when it comes to weather. Kind of like this guy:

USGA Rain (2003)

Don’t worry, I’m also well aware that this isn’t all about me. In fact it’s not about me in any way shape or form. I get that.

I’ll be up early in the morning tomorrow. No, that doesn’t happen very often on my day off, but I know I have a responsibility to our attendees, and I take that very seriously.

Keep an eye here for updates. They’ll be here when you need them.

In fact: Here is our latest update now from a member of our board. I’d hold him to this. I plan to…

As of 10:32 p.m. today:

The Bowl for Joy is ON!!! The major streets are clear and will be clear in the morning. Sawmill Lanes is at Bethel and Sawmill, two of the major streets on the NW side. There will be no problems getting there from 315 or 270. Just leave 15 minutes earlier than you planned. I will even buy you a “I Made It To The MJB” celebratory beer. This thing is on.

Well, it seems simple enough. We are having a bowling event at 1:00pm on February 6th at Sawmill Lanes. It is $100 for a four person team. You get three games, shoes, one pizza and pitcher of pop per team for your money. There will be a raffle and prizes for the top two teams. You have to buy your own booze from the bar though.

But there have been a few questions. Fair enough. Let me see if I can answer some of those.

Note: If you don’t see your question answered here, please feel free to contact me directly via phone, 614-746-2112 or email jbrochowski@mjbfoundation.org

Alright here we go…

Our first questions are actually answered in the summary paragraph above.

When:

Saturday Feb 6th at Sawmill Lanes at 1pm

Cost:

$100 for a four person team. (or $30 for an individual).

What’s Included:

You get three games, shoes, one pizza and pitcher of pop per team for your money. There will be a raffle and prizes for the top two teams. You have to buy your own booze from the bar though.

How much pizza and pop?

1 pizza. 1 pitcher of pop. Per team.

How much beer?

Doesn’t Golf for Joy have beer? Yes, Golf for Joy does have beer and we also pay insurance to be able to serve that beverage and include it in the cost of entry. To save that cost, we are not including it in the cost of entry for Bowl for Joy, but it will still be available at the bar.

Will the raffle be like the raffle at Golf for Joy?
No, there will be one, maybe two great items up for raffle.

What are the prizes?
We are currently working on shopping for prizes.

Is there a limit on the number of entrants?
Yes, there are only a limited number of spots available in Bowl for Joy. To be sure you secure your spot, please register and pay your entry fee as soon as possible.

Can we do a 5 member team?
This one is a little tricky. We want everyone to be able to participate in Bowl for Joy, but we will be set up for 4 member teams. We discussed this question at our board meeting earlier this month. From that discussion come the following compromises:

If you have a family of five, or a group of five folks younger than 18 who would like to participate we will give you a total of 3 4-person games to split between your five bowlers any way you see fit, but you will not be able to win the 4 person team first or second prizes.

If you have five participants who are adults, we will do the same, but will need to include the cost of the “extra” adult or $30.00.

If we have enough five member teams we might come up with an extra prize, but because I’ve only heard from a few of you so far, I cannot promise that right now.

There are always a lot of details to holding any event like this, and there are bound to be even more questions we haven’t considered or thought of. Please feel free to ask in the comments or contact me using the information provided above.

We look forward to welcoming you to Bowl for Joy on February 6 and wish you a very prosperous and Happy New Year!

It has been some kind of year for The MJB Foundation. A banner year, A gigantic year, And of course – A Joyous year.

We have been blessed to work with an almost entirely new Board. We were able to make a major donation toward The MRDD Early Childhood Education Barn Project. We were able to buy adaptive tricycles for 3 children who needed them, and an adaptive tray, a tray that changed a life for a young man who lacked only $85, (a fancy dinner for you or me maybe?) towards its purchase, but was unable to secure that funding.

And we have you to thank – for every success, for every dollar, for all that Joy! We couldn’t do it without you. At Golf for Joy this year I talked about a little girl named Tiffany who was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her adaptive tricycle, the very first we purchased. I’m proud to say that Tiffany got her trike. This fall, we received this picture and note from Tiffany’s parents.

Working with Susan, our contact at MRDD I’ve also learned that from a therapeutic standpoint Tiffany is able to keep her trunk & shoulders in an appropriate posture for one hour with this tricycle, something that would never have been possible before. Tiffany’s legs have been in constant motion. We’ve heard from the therapist that Tiffany’s Mom reports that she has seen more of their neighborhood than she had ever seen before, and even that she has lost 10 pounds herself walking the neighborhood with Tiffany on her tricycle.

All. Because. Of. You!

As we move into 2010 I am very excited to announce a new event to help us share even more Joy with children with challenges. Please mark your calendars with these two very important dates. The 16th annual Golf for Joy outing will be held Saturday June 26 – and I am proud to announce our very first Bowl for Joy which will be held Saturday February 6th. I’m really excited about this event. If word of mouth is any indicator attendance is going to be HUGE! But – Only a limited number of spots are available so you’ll want to sign up as soon as possible.

Also – PLEASE NOTE – Folks who register and pay for Golf for Joy between now and the end of Bowl for Joy will receive $10 off their Golf for Joy entry fee.

We’ve also been very fortunate this year to find ways for folks to share their Joy beyond attending our events. We’re a part of the Kroger Community Rewards program, and if you’re on Facebook you can vote for us to be part of the Chase Community Giving program.

We are grateful for any support you might be able to give to help us share our Joy.

As 2009 draws to a close, our wish to you and your family is for peace, happiness, and as always – JOY!

There is a small supply of the commemorative golfballs from the 15th Annual Golf for Joy. They sell individually for $1 each (plus shipping costs). Let us know if you are interested in purchasing one of these limited edition items.

Getting back on track while revising and revamping the website, we have this great bit of news to share about The MJB Foundation and Kroger.

Another way to help us share our Joy!

The Kroger Company has a program available to non-profit organizations called The Kroger Community Rewards Program. This program donates money to The MJB Foundation based on your use of your Kroger Plus Card. It doesn’t cost you anything to have your card hooked up to The MJB Foundation’s donations. If you are willing to help us out, please sign up! It’s pretty easy, just have your Kroger Plus Card handy when you log on.

Here is how you do it:

TO USE THE KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM:

-Register online at krogercommunityrewards.com

-Be sure to have your Kroger Plus card handy.

-If you do not yet have a Kroger Plus card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger.

-Click on Sign In/Register

-If you are a new online customer, you must click on SIGN UP TODAY in the ‘New Customer?’ box.

-Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering your zip code, clicking on your favorite store, entering your email address and creating a password, then agreeing to the terms and conditions.

-You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link within the body of the email.

-Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step.

-Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number.

-Update or confirm your information.

-Enter NPO number (84231) or name of organization, select organization from list and click on confirm.

-To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization’s name on the right side of your information page.

-REMEMBER, purchases will not count for The MJB Foundation until after you register your card.

-Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 877-576-7587 to get your Kroger Plus card number.

-Members must swipe their registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number that is related to their registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count.

-If you are interested in the alternate SCANBAR method of member registration, please call 800-837-4483 and a SCANBAR letter will be mailed to you.

Thanks for helping us share our Joy!

Skill prizes

Hit the Beach: Beach chair in the bunker, Hole #8 – Greg Hegstrom

Closest to the Picnic Basket (women only), Hole #16 – Joan Cox

Closest to the Cooler, Hole #17 – Tony Myer

Closest to the Pin, Hole #9 – Rick Bruhn

Straightest Drive, Hole #2 – Jaime Brooker

Scramble scores/teams:

58 – Joe Almaguer, Joe Almaguer, Jr., Jim Saas, Jim Caldwell

62 – Jeff Hayes, John Hayes, Bobby Hayes, Jason Barr

65 – Jamie McKendry, Bill McKendry, Sr., Chuck Peck, Ron Clark

66 – Jeff Fogel, Steve Pfister, Jeff Chamer, Dan Dickerson

67 – Eric Olimpio, Rick Bruhn, Lorne Weigt, Chris Wittkop

67 – Tom Gambill, Scott Bing, Jim Smith, Jim Kuhn

68 – Ken Bochy, Bob Bochy, Phil Cox, Joan Cox

69 – Mike Good, Chris Arens, Greg Hegstrom, Patrick Flannery

71 – Dave Sliwinski, Maureen Stilwell, Bruce Kromer, Joe Kirkbaumer

71 – Eric Holmes, Dan Prond, Todd Kerr, Sandy Townsend

72 – Dave Lemmon, Todd Workman, Jack Wolf, Darrell Brooker

73 – Mike Deering, Steve Peck, Robb Beck, Joe Garbuglio

73 – Dave Huff, Nancy Sullivan, Donald Sullivan

73 – Jim Myer, Tony Myer, Blaine Hunkins, Myong Hunkins

74 – Aaron Greene, Daniel Sebben, Justin Juenger

76 – Matt Rupert, Dan Gallup, Matt Danzuso, Jim Long

76 – Bob Davis, Nick Davis, Taylor Hunt

77 – Chris Miskell, John Scialabba, Joe Yersavich, Dave Fischer

78 – Jim Brochowski, John Siemer, Dale Bonesteel, Rick Brochowski

83 – Jamie Wolf, Jaime Brooker, Jen Clark, Michelle Lemmon

84 – Mike Lemaster, Linda Lemaster, Mike Schull, Dan Heise

101 – Wendy Tressler, Wendy Mohr, Jan Smith, Diane Guglielmi

no score reported – Susie Kromer, Renee Peck, Kathy Peck

The 15th Annual Golf for Joy is over – golfclubs have been cleaned, bills have been paid, and the pictures have finally been posted! You can scroll through the slideshow in the upper right of this site and look at all 100 photos in the album, and if you right click on any picture you can save a copy for yourself (or sign up for an account in Picasa and view the entire album).

Bear with us – this is a new site, a new tool, new editing software, things haven’t been perfected yet. But hopefully this is a step in the right direction!

Feel free to leave comments to tell us what you think and give us suggestions.

We are transitioning to a new site/format. We’re hoping it will prove easier for you to navigate and to give us feedback and leave comments.

Check back to see what’s new!

I am Meghan’s grandmother. Each year I am awed by the commitment that Jim and Annette have to this remembrance of their daughter. I am one of the lucky mothers who never had to have a memorial for a daughter. When I married Annette’s dad I became the mother of four daughters! Annette and Jim worked very hard with their brain damaged daughter. They loved her as much as Kailey the “perfect” twin. I remember when they were born. We weren’t expecting twins. Those of us in the waiting room got really nervous when the emergency C-section took a very long time. Each time we went to the nursery to inquire, they asked if we were talking about the twins! How dumb were those people! Finally, “grandma” went into the delivery area again to inquire and ran into the OB. He told me all about the twins and the fragile state of one of them. Twins! We thought she (Annette) looked big and were we right! That day began the struggle to keep Meghan alive. For 15 months the family worked with tube feedings, medically alert night times, and the heartbreak of a handicapped child. Hard to imagine it was more than 15 years ago. Rest in peace little one. We will continue to remember you with our golf outing!

(Previous comments on this post are available here: http://mjbfoundation.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-am-meghans-grandmother.html#comments)

Frequently during the time of year leading up to Golf for Joy I find myself meeting new people, shaking many hands, and handing out business cards. Friends introduce me to their friends and tell them about the outing and the foundation, how cool it all is, and what a good time we always have…

And… I appreciate that so much, that my friends want to share, and want to help.

But I met someone this weekend who made that exchange even more special. I sent him this email to thank him.

Hi Touby,

Just wanted to say how nice it was to meet you Saturday and talk about our outing and my daughter Meghan Joy.

People often ask about the MJB Foundation and Golf for Joy. They don’t often ask about Meghan. While I understand that, in that they don’t want to make things feel uncomfortable it does mean that much more each time somebody does take the time to ask.

I am truly grateful for those times.

Hope you have a great week!

Take care,
Jimmy

When the party is over… When the money has been raised and donated… I still miss my little girl.

Today I want to thank everyone who helps me to remember.