Team NotesJuly 7 Dear Team Illinois...
Not sure how it is at your house, but it's crazy here...lots to do between now and the crack of dawn on Thursday morning when we leave for Pittsburgh!
So, here are a couple of last minute things:
1 - Check the team website every day until you leave - we receive updates (cycling, golf, bball, etc) on many of the sports - David posts them to our website -- check it out so that you have the latest info.
2 - Picture and Registration - wear your rugby shirt to the picture at 9:00 on Saturday morning (you can take it off after if you want to keep it fresh for the opening ceremonies later that evening).
3 - Have a copy of your medical waiver with you (I have your copies too in the event I need the info) and bring it to check in. Mistakes, though rare, have been known to happen at registration.
4 - If you are unable to participate (for whatever reason) and you have been selected to participate on a TEAM sport, then you must let Ann or I know as soon as possible.
5 - Check out the www.transplantgames.org website one final time - there is some good travel and direction info that you might want to download and print for yourself if you're driving anywhere.
6 - If you need me, (urgent) I can be reached on my cell phone at 847-909-7391. Mack and I have a room at the Marriott Courtyard (Baxter) - you can leave any non-urgent messages there and I will get them every evening.
7 - Be safe in your travels and we'll see you either at the game on Friday night or bright and early on Saturday -
GO TEAM ILLINOIS!!
Gina
June 26 Dear Team IL member,
1) Uniform pick up this Saturday at Schaumburg Library from Noon until 2:00 p.m. -- Volunteers need to be there at 11:00 a.m.. If you absolutely, positively cannot be there for the uniform pick up, then reply to this email to make your alternative arrangements (remember...we are leaving in 2 weeks for the Games).
2) I will have your grant distribution checks with me at the uniform pick up. For those of you who will be at the pick up, please print and bring this form with you. I will have a few extra Grant Distribution forms available for your signature. For those of you who will NOT be at the pick up, please remember that I will not be mailing your check to you until I have your form signed and received (Team Illinois, 631 Slingerland Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60193).
3) Final Breakfast Sign up -- Saturday, uniform pick up.
4) Extra items -- we will likely have a few extra items available for purchase on Saturday - unfortunately, we won't know the exact items and sizes until the very end -- so, if you would like to purchase anything additional, you'll need to stay until the end of the pick up to see what is available.
5) Media: The Team Donate Life Illinois (www.DonateLifeIllinois.org) is seeking out Team Illinois transplant athletes to share their story with local media and help spread the word about the crucial importance of organ & tissue donation. People can reach out to Scott Meis at smeis@grisko.com or Joslyn Osten at Gift of Hope at josten@giftofhope.org.
Beyond that, you can share stories of any personal testimonials as part of the Illinois Donor Diaries (http://www.donatelifeillinois.org/donatelife/donor-diaries.htm) which are simple write ups that people with ties to the issue draft up for a PR firm to pick up and possibly share. Please read the "what do I do next checklist" and keep checking the website for updates to the individual and team competitive events.... See you Saturday! Gina June 9 1 -- We're getting to the point in time where there is a lot of info passing back and forth between your Team Managers and Nationals.....many of you have questions that can be answered by a quick look at the 2 websites you should be checking every 2 days -- ours (www.team-illinois.org) and the Games (www.transplantgames.org). For any other questions, we will get back to you when we have a moment.
2 -- For those of you who CANNOT make the uniform pick up and have sent me your signed authorization document.....I will be either mailing your grant or giving it to your designee (depending on your instructions). Without instructions, I will be mailing it. As to your uniforms....we will not likely have all the uniform items we have ordered until the week of the 28th -- you may need to make your alternate pick-up plans for that week or even the week after.
3 -- For those of you who will be attending the uniform pick up - don't worry - we'll have extra authorization documents available that day for you to sign. No need to mail it to me now.
4 -- Breakfast - we'll be passing out updated competition info at the breakfast (like we did last year from the hotel lobby). Please be there -- info on our website. We plan to close reservations for the breakfast on June 20th so get your checks in to Cathy Ostry (made payable to NKFI) now!! (address on website)
5 -- Read below - there is a lot of info you will need to know. OKAY, I’ve registered online….I have my hotel and my transportation Pictures Check-In Kick-Off Breakfast – Westin Pittsburgh (directly across the street from the DLCC) Opening Ceremonies – What do I wear? Where is it? Athletic Competitions – What to wear? Closing Ceremonies – What to wear? When and Where is it? Pins We're in the final few weeks before the Games - there will be lots of info delivered to your managers, who will need to get it to you. For that reason, please log on to our website at least 2-3 times per week and look for the updates (re: the individual Games events, media opportunities, etc.) Here's what we need to communicate today (many require your action):
1 - We need your help: Uniform Pick-Up will be held at the Schaumburg Library on Saturday, June 28th from 12:00 p.m. unti 2:30 p.m. We will be coordinating this day differently than before - instead of having your uniforms boxed and ready to go, we will assemble your uniform orders with each of you on that day. For that reason, we need volunteers to help us with the tables/uniform items. The volunteer best suited to help us that day will need to be very detail-oriented and able to move quickly (bending and lifting small bundles). Please RSVP to this email to volunteer your help (volunteers will need to be there from 11-3).
2 - Reminder that the last day to order any uniform items (team members and team store) will be this Saturday. We will be placing our final order this Monday in order to have your items available by the June 28th date.
3 - Days at the Games: For purposes of budgeting, we are assuming that each of you will be at the Games for the 5 nites/6 days. If you will be attending the Games for less than 6 days/5 nights, please advise by this Friday (reply to this email) along with letting me know the amount of days/nights you actually will be there.
4 - Kick-Off Breakfast: Our Team IL annual kickoff event is our Team Breakfast to be held on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. at the Westin Pittsburgh (directly across the street from the Convention Center where we will have just completed Team IL onsite checkin and pictures). This is an event that has been attended by most of our Illinois participants (members, friends, family) each and every year and is a great way to meet up with old friends and teammates, while kicking off a new year of Games history!! The cost of the breakfast has been offset by the team, making it reasonable for everyone to attend ($14/adult and $8/child). Please make your checks payable to NKFI and send them to Cathy Ostry at 600 Magnolia Drive, Elk Grove, IL, 60067. We will be giving our numbers to the Westin within the next few weeks, so you'll need to get your reservations in ASAP.
5 - Medical Waivers: Those are due next week. See the website (www.team-illinois.org) for the fax number appropriate for you to send your waiver to (based on team member last name).
Stay in touch --
Stay healthy,
Gina Baxter
Team IL Co-Manager
May 17, 2008 Dear Team IL member.....Please read over this very important info from the NKF regarding the Games and our participation --
ONLINE REGISTRATION FEES ENDING SOON
Please remember that online registration will close on June 5th. While non-athletes may register onsite, once online registration closed, no additional transplant athlete entries will be accepted. As of May 16th, 3968 participants were registered for this year's Games. In addition, if you have registered for a doubles event (tennis and bowling) and have not submitted a doubles partner by the June 5th deadline, you will be dropped from that competition.
Stay healthy....get your uniforms ordered....get your medical waivers in.
Gina Baxter
Team IL Co-Manager
March 14, 2008 A few reminders….
Stay on top of the latest info by checking our website at least once per week…. Gina Baxter March 2, 2008 Dear Team Illinois member, If you haven’t already registered for the US Transplant Games thru the Official Games website (www.transplantgames.org) and plan to attend the Games this year, please do so as soon as possible (Remember...the Indication of Interest form you may have completed on the Team Illinois website was NOT Games registration). As of today, Team Illinois has 36 recipients registered with a total of 104 individuals planning to attend. We anticipate that these numbers will almost double by the end of registration. We’re excited!!! If you HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED (please do not complete this if you have not yet officially registered on the Games website), we will need you to order your uniform items…. 1 – Log onto our website – www.team-illinois.org The uniforms are provided at NO cost to Team Illinois members due to the fundraising efforts of Team Illinois members. Please do NOT order any items or plan to use any of your uniform pieces for your family or friends – family and friends of Team Illinois members will need to purchase any items they wish from our Team Illinois website "store” (will be available in a few days). Uniform Pick-Up is set for June 28th at the Schaumburg Library. Details will follow as we get closer to the date, but please reserve that date on your calendar now. MEDICAL WAIVERS: (this same info can be found on our website) Who needs a completed medical waiver? Any life-saving organ transplant recipient who has had a functioning transplant for at least 6 months (prior to July 11 who intends to compete in atheltic events in Pittsburgh). When should I make my appointment with my doctor to have my form completed and signed?Appointments should be made for any time between March 11th and June 5th. Forms completed prior to March 11 will not be accepted. How do I send in my completed medical waiver?
Where do I send my completed medical waiver?
Last name: A – H Team Representative: Donna Frett Last name: I – P Team Representative: Janice Gill
Last names: Q -Z Team Representative: Mary Schlereth ** Your assigned Team Representative will confirm with you (by email) that they have received your correct and completed form or to instruct you of any necessary changes.** Any changes or corrections required are your responsibility to complete. When is the deadline for turning in my completed medical waiver? All medical waivers must be completed and sent your assigned Team Representative by June 6th. Please Note: NO athlete will be allowed to compete without a properly completed and submitted form. This also applies to forms that have not been accepted within accepted time frame. Before you email, fax or mail your completed medical waiver please make sure:
Please note: While at the Games, the Team Manager has final determination as to whether Team Members may participate as a member of Team Illinois or in reference to specific events. UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS: We have had 2 Team Illinois members schedule Bowling Fundraising Events for our Team members and their friends and families. Please try to make at least 1 of these dates – and bring friends/family with to enjoy!! This is a great way to meet your fellow team members and bring in much needed fundraising $$ to the Team! April 6th – (Flyer/Registration info on our website) – Mundelein Date: SUNDAY APRIL 6TH Time: 1:00PM – 4:00PM Location: LAKESIDE BOWLING LANES, 900 S. Lake St. (Rt. 45), MUNDELEIN Cost: $20.00 PER PERSON, INCLUDES 3 GAMES, SHOES, PIZZA AND SODA
RAFFLES AND PRIZES AND LOTS OF FUN!! R.S.V.P. by March 18th kurtknigge@hotmail.com
April 13th – (Flyer/Registration form on our website) -- McHenry
Location: McHenry Recreation Bowling Center 1216 N. River Rd, McHenry Date: Sunday, April 13 Time: Registration at 1:30 p.m. Bowling starts at 2:00 p.m. Cost: $20/person (Includes 3 games and shoe rental)
You can also purchase raffles tickets for great prizes!
Teams: Each team will consist of 4-6 bowlers. If you don’t have a full team, no problem, we’ll pair you up! Registration: Please complete the attached registration form. Make checks payable to: NKFI- Team Illinois and return to: Donna Frett 5405 Sherman Drive McHenry, IL 60050 Any questions call: 815-344-5221
I’ll be in touch – stay healthy!! See you at the Fundraisers!!
Gina Baxter Team Illinois Co-Manager January 27, 2008 Dear Team IL Member/Friend: I spoke with our NKF Games Management rep this past week and it seems that the Registration for the 2008 Transplant Games will be opening up for all to register online within the next 3 weeks – so, we are extending our deadline for completing the Team Illinois Indication of Interest form to January 31, 2008. 72 of you have already completed and submitted this form. This is GREAT information for us to use in our budgeting and planning (uniforms, pins, competitive events, etc). So, if you haven’t yet completed the Indication of Interest form, and you plan to participate in the 2008 Transplant Games in Pittsburgh (July 11-16) as a member of Team Illinois, you’ll need to fill out the form (found on our website – www.team-illinois.org) and submit by January 31st. To note: 1. This form is for Team Illinois Members only – so please complete the form only if you fall into one of the following categories:
If you are a family member or friend of a Living Donor or Transplant Recipient and plan to join us at the Games, we are excited…but any info we might need from you will be captured when you register for the Games themselves. 2. Do not complete the form more than once (if you have any doubts if we have one on file for you, please reply to this email and I will let you know). 3. So that we can get the “points” correct, please only fill out what has actually taken place since the 2006 Games – what you did or participated in (in prep for the 06 Games) doesn’t apply for the upcoming 2008 Games. What you plan to do this spring/summer relative to fundraising, etc., shouldn’t be captured on this form either. This is strictly to record what has taken place so far. When anything changes (or adds on), we will make note of it for you. (Remember, all fundraising $$ has to be received by April 30th in order to be applicable for the 2008 Games. Any $$ received after April 30th will not count towards our 2008 Revenues or be counted in your “points” earned for the 2008 Games. $$ received after April 30th will remain in the Team Illinois budget and will carryover to the 2010 Games Budget.) 4. The “points” documents has been corrected and updated to its final version (v1-26-08) and can be found on our website. Each one of you that has an interest in attending the Games (and have questions about fundraising and finances) should become familiar with this document’s information. Again, please remember…..we have over 300 email addresses in our Team database, so once the extension of January 31st passes, only those email addresses received on the submitted IOI forms will be included on all future Team Illinois communications (this includes info about Games registration, etc.). Thanks, Gina Baxter
October 8, 2007 Dear Team IL Member/Friend of Team Illinois, Direct from U.S. Transplant Games Team Manager training… There will be a lot of info to share with you at the upcoming Transplant Games Team Illinois InfoShare in November, but in the meantime, I thought it would be a good idea to share a couple of important items with you (since I know some of you are beginning to think “travel plans”). Team Illinois Photo & Onsite Check-In: (The Team pictures will no longer be taken right before the Opening Ceremonies.) As of now (and this exact time may be subject to change), Team Illinois Photo & Onsite Check-In is set for Saturday, July 12th at 9:00 a.m.. That means that no Team Illinois member may complete their on-site Games check-in for the Games prior to this time, but that you may check-in at this time or at any time later in the day up until 2:00 p.m. when registration closes. Please keep in mind that the Team photo will be at 9:00 a.m. - if you miss checking in at this time, you will not have your photo taken with the Team and be a part of this Games keepsake. Opening Ceremonies: Saturday, July 12th at 7:30 p.m. (again, subject to change) 5K Walk: At this time, the 5K Walk is expected to be held on Sunday morning the 13th of July (as opposed to the Saturday it usually falls on). Depending upon the time of the Walk, it may overlap one of your planned events. I look forward to seeing you at the Saturday, November 17TH from 1:00am - 3:00pm at the Schaumburg Library. We have received the pertinent information needed for the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games to be held in Pittsburgh in July, 2008. At the Infoshare, we will be showing pictures (from Pittsburgh venues) and giving specific information relative to both the Team and the Games at that time. If you are planning to attend the Games, plan to attend the Infoshare. Schaumburg Library Please reply to this email with your intent to attend the InfoShare. Thanks, September 16, 2007 1) Our First Bowling Fundraiser is right around the corner!! HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YET????? Reservations: 312-829-7996 before Sept 17th or email TeamIllinoisBowling@yahoo.com Come out and enjoy the day! Bring friends and family!!2) Team Illinois “Life is a Gift” COOKBOOKS are in and available for ordering in one of 3 ways: 1 -- Order online – www.team-illinois.org - $13.00 donation per book plus $2.00 shipping = $15.00 per book ordered. 2 -- Order by mail-in check - $15.00 per book ordered (includes shipping book back to you). 3 -- Order and pick up (best for neighborhood or bulk orders): $13.00 per book. Contact Cathy Ostry at clostry600@aol.com to set up a time. Full payment due at time of cookbook pick up. We ordered 400 cookbooks in order to raise the funds necessary for the pins (pin cost is typically around $3000-4000 for a team our size)! As of today, we have sold over 250 cookbooks, BUT HAVE A LOT MORE TO GO. Please consider your part in this fundraising effort. 3) Corporate Links – As this holiday season approaches, please remember…you can help the Team by placing your holiday shopping orders through our website. There are 2 ways to help: Simply log on to our homepage (www.team-illinois.org) and click the AMAZON link – this will take you directly to the Amazon website. Anything you order utilizing this process will result in $$ coming to Team Illinois from Amazon. The specific information about your order remains anonymous – the only info we receive is the amount of $ that we earned as a result of your purchase. This is a simple way to benefit the Team without too much extra effort on your part. Also, we now have a 2nd way you can help the team. If you are a “Googler” on the internet, then you can help the Team simply by modifying your search habits. Instead of going directly to “google” to conduct your information searches, go to www.goodsearch.com first. Once you get on the site, you can type in “NKF – Illinois” in the section that says “enter your charity here” (it will then pre-fill the National Kidney Foundation – Illinois). The website gives the Team $.01 for each legitimate search that is completed that way….not a lot of $, but the pennies add up. Now, “goodsearch” is not as robust as google, but it does offer several different alternatives, so I have found that by using both, I get an even greater level of information I can use. You can also “goodshop” that way too (see the link on the page that connects you to several online shopping venues). The Team will benefit from any purchase you may make using the “goodshop” process. 4) TEAM ILLINOIS INFOSHARE NORTH – Saturday, November 17th – Schaumburg Library Team Illinois managers will be sending representatives to attend the Team Manager Training next week and will be receiving the pertinent information needed for the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games to be held in Pittsburgh in July, 2008. At the Infoshare, we will be showing pictures (from Pittsburgh venues) and giving specific information relative to both the Team and the Games at that time. If you are planning to attend the Games, please plan plan to attend the Infoshare. Team Illinois managers will be sending representatives to attend the Team Manager Training next week and will be receiving the pertinent information needed for the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games to be held in Pittsburgh in July, 2008. At the Infoshare, we will be showing pictures (from Pittsburgh venues) and giving specific information relative to both the Team and the Games at that time. If you are planning to attend the Games, please plan plan to attend the Infoshare. As always, please feel free to contact us at TeamILMgr@aol.com for questions. Also, please contact us if you wish to no longer receive emails from Team Illinois or wish to add someone to our email list. Be healthy, August 25, 2007 Dear Friend of Team Illinois, 1) WOO-HOO! We’re having our first Bowling Fundraiser!! “Come out and BOWL” – Sunday, September 23rd Come out and enjoy the day! Bring friends and family!!
Detailed information (including sign-up form and donation/sponsorship forms) is available from the
1 -- Order online - $13.00 donation per book plus $2.00 shipping = $15.00 per book ordered. 2 -- Order by mail-in check - $15.00 per book ordered (includes shipping book back to you). 3 -- Order and pick up (best for neighborhood or bulk orders): $13.00 per book. Contact Cathy Ostry at to set up a time. Full payment due at time of cookbook pick up. We ordered 400 cookbooks in order to raise the funds necessary for the pins (pin cost is usually somewhere around $4000 for a team our size)! As of today, we have sold over 150 cookbooks, BUT HAVE A LOT MORE TO GO. Please consider your part in this fundraising effort. 4) TEAM ILLINOIS INFOSHARE (date to be announced at a later time) Team Illinois managers will be sending representatives to attend the Team Manager Training in September and will be receiving the pertinent information needed for the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games to be held in Pittsburgh in July, 2008. We will be hosting an INFOSHARE meeting sometime in October or November of this year and will be showing pictures (from Pittsburgh venues) and giving specific information relative to both the Team and the Games at that time. Be on the lookout for this information and plan to attend. As always, please feel free to contact us for questions. Also, please contact us if you wish to no longer receive emails from Team Illinois or wish to add someone to our email list. Be healthy, Gina Baxter June, 2007 Dear Team Illinois member or Friend of Team Illinois,
We need your help.
We are just months away from 2008 US Transplant Games registration and we are not finding the level of support ($ and volunteerism) we have received in past years and past Games.
How you can help:
1) Look at the Tshirts on the website (www.team-illinois.org) and see if this inexpensive (but SHARP!) tshirt needs a home in your wardrobe for the summer! (You can always wear it at the Games!) They are a great quality shirt – and the logo certainly sends a strong message to all.
2) Use the following instructions (at the bottom of the page) and enter at least 3 recipes into our developing cookbook – AND THEN PLAN TO SELL AT LEAST 3 when they come out in later summer! As of today, there are less than 2 dozen recipes entered – if every person who reads this would enter 3 recipes (not much at all!), we would have over 350 recipes – that’s a GREAT COOKBOOK! Recipe cutoff date is June 10th, so please help as soon as you can.
3) Contact your workplace to see if a corporate donation might be made to Team Illinois (we are part of National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, a 503c tax-deductible organization). I can provide you with the levels and benefits of corporate sponsorship if you contact me.
4) Let me know if you will be attending “clinic” at your Transplant Center within the next month and would be willing to ask your Transplant Center to pass out “SAVE THE DATE” magnets (NEW!) for the 2008 Transplant Games.
5) Attend a general meeting on Sunday, June 24th, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at 631 Slingerland Drive, Schaumburg, IL. We will be discussing (and introducing?) our uniform, pin, etc. You are welcome to bring some sort of snack if you would like. We will have the FREE magnets and Tshirts and Cakes with Spirit available for purchase at the meeting. Please RSVP to this note if you plan to attend.
6) Consider “hosting” a Team fundraising event in YOUR neighborhood – for your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers – in the next 6 months. We will help you get your plans together and try to bring volunteers to help work your event. Last year, one of our team members hosted a bowling event in Plainfield area and we raised over $2000 for the Team.
Please let me know if you have any questions – I look forward to seeing many of you on the 24th!
Gina Baxter Team Illinois Co-Manager COOKBOOK INSTRUCTIONS:
- All recipes MUST be entered by June 10th, 2007 - You can type in your own recipe online – very, very easy - You can add a thought or a tribute in the comment section at the end of each “add recipe” form to anyone you would like to remember with this “Life is a Gift” cookbook - Feel free to add an additional identification on the 2nd line of the Contributor’s Name (e.g., Kidney Recipient, Living Donor, Donor Family, Family member, Friend of Team Illinois, etc) - Website to begin: www.typensave.com - Click on “Login” - Contributor: YOUR NAME GOES HERE - Group Login: Team - Password: Games - Tip: I find it MUCH easier to just enter the whole description of the ingredient – e.g., 1 cup sugar or 1 T. butter – on the one larger ingredient line….rather than break it up into the multiple sections. It looks the same when it is completed, but MUCH MUCH easier to enter this way. March, 2007 Dear Member/Friend of Team Illinois, I hope you enjoyed your holiday season and are getting excited for the warmer weather ahead! Well, here’s a timeline for you all to begin working with: March 2007 – May-September 2007 – Registration: We are less than 6 months away from early Team IL registration October-December 2007 – Registration: We will ask for Team Illinois pre-registration information from each of you planning to attend the Games. January-March 2008 – Registration: National Kidney Foundation 2008 Games Registration will open April – June 2008 – Registration: NKF Games registration will close several weeks in advance of the Games – Medical releases due for Transplant Recipients/Athletes July 12, 2008 -- Opening ceremonies!!! July 15, 2008 – Closing ceremonies Please let us know if you have any questions – Your Team Illinois Management 11/07/06 BIG NEWS! 1 – WOO-HOO! We have a new fleece and vest that is available to order – please log onto our website (www.team-illinois.org) and place your order for these great looking items today! The message is strong, the colors bright, and they will serve as a special reminder to anyone touched by organ and tissue transplantation. These items will only be available to order until December 31st 2006. We will place the orders we receive once per week and will deliver them to you as soon as we receive each item from our supplier (usually 7-10 days later). This is the time to order if you’re purchasing holiday gifts! 2 – As you begin your online shopping for the holidays, remember that you can link directly to Amazon.com website directly from our website and Team Illinois will receive a portion of the proceeds from your purchase. What an easy way to help support Team Illinois during this upcoming “buying” season! Please remember that the Team only receives a portion of the proceeds from your purchase when you link directly from our website, so it is important that you begin your purchase at www.team-illinois.org . The confidential purchase information relative to your order is not shared with us – we only receive notification that dollars were spent on our behalf and notified of the total amount of the donation itself. This is a good way to get your family, friends and colleagues at work involved to help support the Team! Have a healthy & happy Holiday season! Gina Baxter 10/14/06 Dear Potential Team Illinois member, We have received so many wonderful notes from many of you – we, too, are excited about the 2008 US Transplant Games and are looking forward to participating! There are 3 items we need to share with you today – all are related to Team funding and potential Games participant Grant distribution. (You may want to get that second cup of coffee now.) Now, I realize that we are early in our Games planning process to be talking about $$. Typically, we have many different Team fundraising events, items, and personal fundraising opportunities over the course of the 2 years between the Games, resulting in generous grant payouts at the end for all team members. Well, there are going to be a few changes for the 2008 Games…therefore, necessitating the need to communicate these with you all early (and often!). This is a good news-different news note. First, the “different” news: There will be no “personal” fundraising this year – what that means – that means that any and all fundraising by any member of our team will be considered Team fundraising, benefiting the team as a whole. We will not be establishing individual or personal accounts for you to collect donations (tax-deductible donations made for your benefit) or to receive benefit as the individual recipient of the profit from the sale of Games/Transplant/Team-related items. In the past, team members were allowed to receive checks (made payable to Team Illinois as a tax-deductible donation) and deposit those checks into the Team account, with a “tag” that identified it for the benefit of an individual or family. That will no longer be the case. Any check made payable to the Team (as a division of a non-profit 503c organization) will be deposited into the Team account and used for all team members. Second, the “good” news: We will be setting up a “POINT” system that will track the Team volunteer and fundraising activities of all individuals intending to participate in the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games as a member of Team Illinois. This POINT system will be used to reward those members of the Team that work to promote the Team’s funding needs, volunteer needs, and to a lesser degree, general participation. As to distribution of those rewards (Grants), just prior to the next Games and once we have total numbers (of team members AND dollars raised that are available to use for Grant distribution), we will assign some dollar or cent value to each POINT earned. It will be that Grant money that will be available to you to use to help offset the cost of attending/participating in the 2008 Games. The greater your participation in both Team fundraising activities and Team volunteer needs, the higher your POINTS = higher Grant. For those that don’t have an interest in either Team fundraising or Team volunteering, you will receive a minimum base of POINTS = lower Grant. You control your own efforts and therefore, the amount of your POINTS. The total results of the Team’s fundraising efforts will control the end value of each POINT (dollars or cents value). There is no maximum amount of points you can earn in any one category (unless otherwise stipulated) or in total, but there will be a maximum amount of Grant available for distribution to each team member family, but that amount will be determined just prior to the Games. (Might want to take a quick walk around the block to clear your head…I know I’m confused and I know what I’m talking about….I can only imagine hearing this for the first time.) What follows are the categories and POINTS available to each of you as you plan your funding and volunteer activities. Remember, these are POINTS and not dollars. The POINTS do not yet equal any monetary value – the monetary value will be assigned at the end based upon total Team fundraising results.
Third, we are forming a fundraising event/item committee and need as much participation on this committee as possible. If you are willing to either coordinate an event or “project manage” a good fundraising item (like sweatshirt, cookbooks, etc), please PLEASE join our committee. We have less than 1.5 years left to raise $ to be used for the Team’s participation at the Games as fundraising cut-off is expected to be early May of 2008. PLEASE respond to this email if you are interested in participating on this committee – we will be holding our first meeting in early November. We look forward to what lies ahead – please let us know if you have any questions. You have received this email because you have previously expressed an interest in receiving information about Team Illinois. If you are no longer interested in receiving ongoing communication from/about the Team, please let us know and we will remove you from our general email list. Gina Baxter 9/17/06 Dear Team Illinois Potential Members, As you know, the 2006 US Transplant Games are more than an athletic competition. They are the coming together of thousands of recipients, living donors, donor families, and families and friends to celebrate life and to increase public awareness of the critical need for organ donation and demonstrate the success of transplantation. The U.S. Transplant Games is a 4-day event consisting of 13 different athletic competitions (team and individual) for organ and life-saving tissue recipients, workshops, ceremonies, coffeehouses and FUN for all! It truly is a celebration of life. In 2006, Team Illinois was represented by 64 recipient athletes, 2 recipient spectators, 16 living donors and 6 donor families, resulting in the largest team that Illinois ever sent to the Games and the 3rd largest team at the Games. When you add in the family and friends that joined us, we had over 200 Team Illinois representatives cheering and celebrating as we won over 60 medals. Thank you to our many wonderful volunteers and sponsors! Well, SAVE THE DATE for the 2008 US Transplant Games – they will be held on July 11th-16th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We will be sharing more information about these Games as it becomes available. In the meantime, here are a few things to know as we plan for the 2008 Games and your potential participation on Team Illinois: The role of Team Manager will be shared by a group of folks as we prepare for the 2008 Games. We are excited that Bob & Ann Panek, Lisa Brosch, Rich & Cathy Ostry, and Gina Baxter will be sharing the role of “Team Manager.” We have split out the role and each of us will be responsible for specific activities and responsibilities. If you need to reach any of us for any reason, our email address is TeamILMgr@aol.com – please put the subject of your question in the email subject line (re: Uniforms, Fundraising, etc.) and you will receive a response from the individual responsible for that item. This year’s fundraising efforts and results (personal and team) will be managed and distributed in a slightly different way for the 2008 Games – We are in the process of finalizing our policies on that, so we will be communicating that information to you shortly so that you can plan and budget appropriately. Finally, remember AMAZON.com. Team Illinois has a relationship set up with AMAZON.com in that for every dollar spent at AMAZON, a small percentage goes to Team Illinois. We don’t receive any information on your individual purchase…just the dollar amount spent by anyone that accesses AMAZON thru the Team Illinois website. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to use our Team website to access AMAZON and make your purchases (especially with the fast-approaching holiday season!). Our Team site is www.team-illinois.org. If you have received this email and have no interest in receiving future notes from or about Team Illinois or the Transplant Games, please reply back to sender and we will remove your email address from future mailings. We look forward to an exciting couple of years! Gina Baxter Team Illinois Volunteer Co-Manager 5/30/06 REGISTRATION OPENING CEREMONIES TEAM PORTRAITS & LINE-UP Group 1 at 5:30pm- Team Alabama Group 2 at 5:45pm- Team Minnesota and Dakotas Donor Families and Living Donors participating in the Opening For general admission into Freedom Hall, doors will open at 6:30PM. 4/27/06 Team Illinois Volleyball Team Listed below are the volleyball teams for Team Illinois for the 2006 U.S. Transplant Games. I’d like to thank everyone for your hard work during the tryout sessions. Additional team members for the recreation division are currently being recruited. Practice dates and times for May and June are TBD. Open Division Recreation Division Note: There will not be any coaches for either volleyball team. Team members are expected to work together on the best way to organize and compete. Michael Henderson 4/25/06 3 on 3 Basketball Teams Listed below are the 3-on-3 basketball teams for Team Illinois for the 2006 U.S. Transplant Games. I'd like to thank everyone for your hard work during the tryout sessions. Team Illinois members who did not make either team are encouraged to re-register for another sport. Practice dates and times for May and June are TBD. Men’s Open Division Mike Connole Recreation or Co-Ed Division/TBD Mack Baxter Note: There will not be any coaches for either basketball team due to the experience of the players. Team members are expected to work together on the best way to organize and compete. Michael Henderson 4/24/06 A few of you have contacted me to let me know that you will be unable to attend the uniform pick up on May 27th due to conflicting schedules.
So, here's what we'll do....
If you absolutely, positively, cannot make it to the Elk Grove Library on May 27th for your uniform and allowance pick-up, AND you live more than 1 hour outside of the northwest suburbs, then we will be able to ship your uniform and allowance payments to your address of record once we receive the following documents from you:
1) Complete the attached form and mail to me at my home address (on the form) by May 10th.
2) Complete correctly, sign, and return your medical waiver to either Nancy Johnson (eyeslate@aol.com) if you are A-K or Janice Gill (kidhappy@aol.com) if you are L-Z.
Once all documentation is received, we will ship your package to you.
If you absolutely, positively, cannot make it to the Elk Grove Library on May 27th for your uniform and allowance pick-up, BUT you live within 1 hour of the northwest suburbs, then you must contact Rich & Cathy Ostry at rostry@aol.com to set up a pick up time AFTER May 15th, 2006. You must have your Payment Form with you (or already mailed in to me) and your medical waiver already turned in in order to receive your package from them.
We are calling for volunteers again -- May 13th, we'll need a maximum of 10 volunteers to help pack the boxes -- please contact Ostry's at rostry@aol.com if you can help. We will also need 12 volunteers to help on May 27th. Please contact Ostry's if you can help.
REMINDER: ALL MEDICAL WAIVERS MUST BE TURNED IN TO NANCY OR JANICE BY MAY 15th.
Gin
4/21/06 - TEAM UNIFORM & ALLOWANCE PICK-UP May 27th -- 10:00 a.m. -- Elk Grove Public Library
Either you must attend yourself (to sign for allowance) or you must have a representative pick up for you (unless you have made and confirmed prior arrangements with Gina directly).
4/3/06 1) If you are a recipient/athlete, you need to have your signed medical waiver to either Nancy Johnson or Janice Gill by May 15th. Addresses are on previous note on our website. No one will be allowed to participate in the Games without this medical waiver on file. No exceptions. 2) Team Illinois Registration closes on 4/20/06. That means that no uniform items or any financial reimbursement or allowances will be provided to anyone who registers for Team Illinois after that date. 3) Team Member Uniforms and uniform items available for purchase will NOT be available for purchase after 4/20/06. If you have registered for the Team, but have not yet ordered your uniform, please do so ASAP. 4) If you haven't already done so, let me know HOW MANY NIGHTS YOU WILL BE IN YOUR Louisville HOTEL. Please email me to let me know that info (total sum of NIGHTS {not days}you will be spending in a Louisville hotel room for the Games). This info is needed by April 20th. 5) Deadline for Bears and Bowlathon fundraising money was 2 days ago and there are a couple of outstanding....Remember to get your Bears Fundraising $ in to the Ostry’s this week. Write Rich for specifics. 6) Team Dinner – Particulars are on our website – Join us for a GREAT KICK-OFF to the Games. Get your reservations in. Don't wait. 7) Team Volleyball and Team BBall Tryouts – Saturday, April 8, 2006 4 – 6:30 pm Buffalo Grove High School Volleyball tryouts/practice 4:15 – 5:15 pm Saturday, April 22, 2006 4 – 6:30 pm Buffalo Grove High School Volleyball tryouts/practice 4:15 – 5:15 pm All Team Illinois athletes that plan on participating in either volleyball or basketball must participate in one of the tryout/practice sessions. 3/24/06 - Please advise Gina 2 NIGHTS -- 3 NIGHTS -- 4 NIGHTS -- 5 NIGHTS -- More than 5 nites.
(remember, only nights == NOT DAYS == spent in a Louisville hotel)
I need your accurate information as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Gina
(In the absence of your response, I'll assume that you are only staying 4 nites and any potential housing allowance will reflect that amount.
3/24/06 - The Latest from NKF EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE
As a reminder, Early Bird registration ends on Friday, March 31, 2006. You are encouraged to register online at www.transplantgames.org on or before March 31st in order to save up to $15! Team Illinois Registration closes April 20th. HOTEL ROOMS Currently, the list of official Games hotels include the Galt House, Marriott Downtown Louisville, Hyatt Regency Downtown Louisville, Hampton Inn Louisville Downtown, and Courtyard by Marriott Louisville Downtown. They are continuing to secure additional hotels in and around Louisville. If you still need a room please let me know. They want to know how many more rooms they need to reserve. MEDICAL WAIVERS Athletes who complete the paper and/or online registration forms for the Games are being advised in their email acknowledgment that they are conditionally registered for the event. Official registration for these athletes is contingent upon the return and approval of their Medical Waivers, which must be completed by their physicians and submitted to their Team Managers no later than May 26, 2006. (OUR DATE IS EARLIER) To receive a copy of the Medical Waiver form, athletes can go to http://www.registerat.com/dyn/nkfgames2006/images/2006MedicalWaiver.pdf to download the form from the Internet. A copy of the form is available from our Team website too. If you don't have Adobe on your home computer, please go to the nearest public library and download the document. You are responsible to access the document, have it filled out and signed, and turned in by the date required -- you will not be allowed to participate in the athletics without it. CANCELLATION POLICIES Individuals who register for the Games and then wish to cancel their participation in the Games may do so by submitting their requests in writing to the Games registration and housing bureau by email (transplantgames@saltlake.org), by fax (801-801 355 8019), or by mail to NKF/Housing 90 South West Temple, SLC, UT 84101 until 5PM CST on May 15, 2006. The Games and 5K race registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable*. Cancellations of Upgrades (ie meal plans, transportation passes, etc.) will be granted with the following penalties: Until March 31, 2006 - no penalty. April 1 - May 5th: - $50.00 cancellation penalty. May 5th - June 1st: - $100.00 cancellation penalty. After June 1st, there will be no refunds for cancellations. Hotel cancellations will be subject to the following fees: Until March 31, 2006 - $75; After March 31st, cancellations will result in a charge equal to the value of the first night's room and tax. These cancellation fees will appear as charge on your credit card statement from "NKF U.S. Transplant Games Registration". Hotel cancellations made after May 16th must be made directly with the hotel. (Remember to record the date and time you called the hotel, the name of the person you spoke with and your cancellation number.) Failure to cancel your reservation with the hotel 72 hours or more prior to arrival may incur a charge by the hotel equal to the value of a two nights stay plus tax, per room. FEES FOR PRACTICES There will be no admission fees for practices at KICC and/or U of L for registered attendees. Practice hours will be made available in June. Individuals who are not registered for the Games will be required to pay the $12 daily admission fee. Golfers will need to book practice rounds directly with the golf courses (Shawnee and Iroquois). The courses can advise the golfer of their respective rates or individuals can check the rates on the Louisville Metro Parks department Web site at http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/golf/. There will also be a charge for bowling practice Games. Bowlers can contact the bowling centers (Executive Strike & Spare and/or Executive Strike & Spare - Fern Valley) for rates. 3/16/06 - Dear Team Illinois Pre-Registrants/Interested folks, 10 items and dates to note: 1 – If you were at the bowlathon last Sunday (a HUGE thanks to Jeff Schiff, Nancy Johnson and Lisa Brosch for their hard work) and had pledges for financial contributions, please make sure you have that money turned in (checks made payable to NKFI – Team Illinois) by April 1st. 2 – If you are a recipient/athlete, you need to have your signed medical waiver to either Nancy Johnson or Janice Gill by mid-May. Addresses are on previous note on our website. No one will be allowed to participate in the Games without this medical waiver on file. No exceptions. 3 – Team Illinois Registration closes on 4/20/06. That means that no uniform items or any financial reimbursement will be provided to anyone who registers for Team Illinois after that date. 4 – Team Member Uniforms and uniform items available for purchase will NOT be available for purchase after 4/20/06. If you have registered for the Team, but have not yet ordered your uniform, please do so ASAP. 5 – Cycling Jerseys – BIG DEMAND – They are custom designed by one of our team members – the LAST date to order this item (team member or extra purchase) is 3/31/06. Jump on our website www.team-illinois.org and place your order! 6 – There are new hotels available for the Games – for those of you who are on a waiting list because you tried to get into the original Galt or Marriott, might want to jump on the 2 new hotels that are available now. Links available to the info from our website homepage. 7 – If you are staying in a NON-Games hotel – that means if you are staying at a hotel that is not the Galt, Marriott, Louisville Hyatt, or Hampton Inn, Louisville, you need to let me know HOW MANY NIGHTS YOU WILL BE IN YOUR HOTEL. Please email me at mgbiii@aol.com to let me know that info (total sum of NIGHTS {not days}you will be spending in a Louisville hotel room for the Games). 8 – Bears $ -- Remember to get your Bears Fundraising $ in to the Ostry’s by 4/1/06 deadline. Write Rich at rostry@aol.com for specifics. 9 – Team Dinner – Particulars are on our website – Join us for a GREAT KICK-OFF to the Games. Get your reservations in. 10 – Team Volleyball and Team BBall Tryouts – Saturday, April 8, 2006 4 – 6:30 pm Buffalo Grove High School Volleyball tryouts/practice 4:15 – 5:15 pm Saturday, April 22, 2006 4 – 6:30 pm Buffalo Grove High School Volleyball tryouts/practice 4:15 – 5:15 pm All Team Illinois athletes that plan on participating in either volleyball or basketball must participate in one of the tryout/practice sessions. Gina 2/19 06 - Dear Prospective Team Illinois member: Online Games Registration is 1 week old and (from what I hear) a flurry of activity! Here are a couple of things to add to your list of things to note: 1 – If you pre-registered (before the end of December) on our Team Illinois website, you STILL MUST REGISTER ONLINE AT www.transplantgames.org IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE/ATTEND THE U.S. TRANSPLANT GAMES IN LOUISVILLE. The pre-registration was only for my information in planning and budgeting. You are not considered “officially” registered until you register at the official Games website. 2 – After you registered, you must order your uniform. If you are a Recipient/Athlete, Recipient/Spectator, Living Donor or Donor Family Member as defined by the NKF, then you should go to our website www.team-illinois.org and link to the uniform order form from the homepage where it says “order your uniform here.” If you are a family member to a recipient or living donor, you have the ability to PURCHASE your Team Illinois items from the Team Store (also available on our website). The Team Store offers all the Team Illinois items at reasonable purchase prices. 3 – If you are a Recipient/Athlete and you already placed your 3-shirt uniform order this past week, GUESS WHAT? You now have a 4th shirt option – please go back to our Team website and order your 4th shirt (with your name/email identification). Don’t reorder your entire order…just your 4th shirt (you’ll see how to do this on the site). 4 -- Vicki Tulcus from Gift of Hope will be working with Team Illinois to coordinate the media surrounding the Team and the Games locally. In order to do this most effectively, she needs the following information in her hands by March 8 (vtulcus@giftofhope.org):
Once Vicki receives this info, she will write press releases and distribute to media in each of your hometowns, as well as posting on the Gift of Hope website. The plan is to direct media interview requests directly to you, our athletes. You will not be required to sign a release form since by your responding to this request you are consenting to be contacted by the media. As a matter of practice, if you are contacted by any media over the course of the next 5 months, please let me know so that we can try to record/acquire a copy of it. 5 – Bowlathon – March 12th – 2:00 p.m. at WoodDale Bowling Lanes. $20 per person to include the bowling, pizza, etc. THIS IS OUR LAST SPONSORED FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY AND the last personal fundraising opportunity. Go to our website and print off a pledge sheet and ask your friends and family to sponsor your participation in the Bowlathon. We will have 3 games (regular game format – not goofy bowl) so that you can raise funds towards your Games expenses -- up to maximum allowable as listed below:
Please RSVP to Nancy and Jeff at either eyeslate@aol.com, or jeffschiff@aol.com no later than March 1st. 6 – Schedule of Dates to know: March 12th – Bowlathon April 1st – All money from sale of Bears and Bowlathon pledgesheets due May 27th – Uniform Pick-Up (Elk Grove) June 1st – Team Dinner Reservations Close Stay on the website for details as they become available. Gina 2/11/06 - Dear Potential Members of Team Illinois, THERE ARE 3 VERY IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU AREPLANNING TO JOIN TEAM ILLINOIS AT THE US TRANPLANT GAMES AS A RECIPIENT/ATHLETE, LIVING DONOR, DONOR FAMILY MEMBER OR SPECTATOR:
REGISTRATION: We are excited to announce that 2006 Games Registration will be opening on-line on Monday, February 13th at 9 AM Mountain Standard Time (10:00 a.m. CST), via the web site at: www.transplantgames.org (click on "Register Now") OUR TEAM NAME IS “TEAM ILLINOIS” AND OUR TEAM CODE IS “302.” Phone: (866) TX-GAMES (866-894-2637) E-mail: transplantgames@saltlake.org. The Housing Connection business hours are 8 AM to 6 PM, MST. The Registration and Housing & Upgrades Forms will also be available to download and print out from the registration site, but this is not preferred as too many errors have occurred in the past by using the paper-snail mail method. If you cannot find a connection to the internet to complete your registration, please let me know and I will try to assist. Once registrants complete their on-line registration they will receive an automated e-mail reply, confirming that their registration information was received by The Housing Connection. Final confirmation is contingent upon full payment and an approved medical waiver for competing athletes. MEDICAL WAIVER: If your last name begins with A-K: Nancy Johnson |