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Ed Block Courage Award Foundation:
Another winner! The 34th annual Ed Block Courage Award football sports event was held recently at the fab Martin's West catering facility.
Through efforts of Sam Lamantia, a high-profile Baltimore hair stylist, this is an organization dedicated to helping abused children not only in Baltimore, but in cities throughout the National Football League.
Despite the fact the owner of our then-beloved Baltimore Colts betrayed Baltimore by sneaking all the team's belongings out of town in the middle of a snowy night, March 28, 1984, relocating the franchise to Indianapolis, this organization is named in honor of the memory of Ed Block, a beloved and respected trainer with our Baltimore Colts. Despite their departure, and heart-broken Baltimore, the Ed Block Foundation - through the encouragement of Sam, dedicated volunteers and staffers - continued to raise funds to benefit abused kids locally.
In 1984, Sam, John Lopez (a professional athletic trainer), and Sister Grace of Baltimore's St. Vincent's Center, which is home to abused kids, made the decision to take this event for abused children throughout the entire National Football League. And, a mega-success it has been!
Ginormous thanks to Art Modell, in 1996, moving the Cleveland Browns football team franchise here, thus bringing football back to Baltimore. Our football fans were ecstatic!
Honored at this annual event is one player or member from each of the National Football League teams who best exemplifies courage in overcoming adversity. The player is voted for by his team-mates to be honored by our local Ed Block Foundation each and every year at a significant sports event at Martin's West.
Those selected, after their arrival in Baltimore, visit our area "Courage House" for abused kids, mingle and play sports with the kids. In the evening, at a fab banquet attended by 1,000 football enthusiast, the NFLers selected by their teammates receive respect, accolades, a magnificent football helmet trophy, a fab souvenir book to remind them of their venture to Baltimore, plus a delicious dinner.
Consequently and great, most of the National Football teams have established a "Courage House" to benefit abused children in their individual cities! To date, there are Courage Houses in 22 of the 32 NFL cities, with exciting new Courage House dedications every year. Fantabulous! Abused kids are the winners!
Courage Houses that have been established include at these NFL franchises: Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Redskins.
Future Courage House dedications are planned for Arizona, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New England, New Orleans, New York Jets and Tennessee. Great!
Partners with our local Ed Block Courage Award Foundation Courage House Network with Sam Lamantia Chairman of Board & CEO includes:
National Football League: Roger Goodell, commissioner
NFL Charities: Roger Goodell, president
Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society: John Norwig, president
NFL Alumni: Frank Krauser, president and CEO
NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, executive director
NFL Coaches Association: Larry Kennan, executive director
NFL Properties, Inc: Roger Goodell, executive vice president and CEO
NFL Films: Steve Sabol, president
Pro Football Hall of Fame: Stephen Perry, executive director
NFL Courage Award 2012 recipients:
AFC East: Andra Davis, Jake Long, Marcus Cannon, Brandon Moore.
NFL East: Tony Romo, Mathias Kiwankua, Mike Patterson, Stephen Bowen.
AFC North: Morgan Cox, Mike Nugent, D'Qwell Jackson, Max Starks.
NFC North: Brian Urlacher, Shuan Hill, T.J. Lang, Anthony Herrera.
AFC South: DeMeco Ryans, Robert Mathis, Jarett Dillard, Derrick Morgan
NFC South: Kerry Meier, Tom Davis, Jimmy Graham, Ronde Barber
AFC West: Elvis Dumervil, Jon McGraw, Trevor Scott, Curtis Brinkley.
NFC West: Early Doucet, Brit Miller, Alex Smith, Red Bryant.
Additional recipient of award recognition:
2011 NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year
: Green Bay Packers, Pepper Burruss, head athletic trainer; Bryan Engel, Kurt Fielding, Nate Weir, assistant athletic trainers.
Pro football Weekly and Pro Football Writers of America:
NFL Assistant Coach of the year: Wade Phillips, defensive coordinator, Houston Texans.
Program participants also included Scott Garceau, master of ceremonies, plus Keith Mills, Bonnie Bernstein, Sage Steele and Brian Billick.
Many, many were involved behind the scene with the success of this annual football fun(d) raising event.
Too numerable to list everyone, however in addition to top guy Sam Lamantia, Lynn Cipollone and William Pateris are directors of operations; Paul Mittermeier, director of communications; Mary Ann Peacock and G.G. Hyle, volunteer directors; Tony Ferraro, tickets; Ray Wright, transportation; Steve Blum, auction.
Lenny Moore is president emeritus of Ed Block Courage Award Foundaton.
Note:
Ed Block Courage Award Foundation also annually sponsors and honors a "Sports Media Hall of Fame" award. This year's popular and very respected honoree was Scott Garceau, a Baltimore resident 32 years. For many years Garceau was the top-notch sportsdirector at WMAR TV 2.
Another note:
The former Colts (1947) Marching Band, now known a the fab Marching Ravens Band, celebrated it's 65th anniversary in 2012! A dedicated band with a positive attitude, they continued to perform in our Baltimore community without a football team. Congrats from all of us to the Marching Ravens Band on your 65th anniversary!
Lifecycle simcha celebrations
A very happy and a few belated birthday greetings to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and community celebrating 30-something, more or less. Also a sprinkling of kids, tween/teens, young adults and seniors (recycled teenagers):
Our Hollywood guy, Barry Levinson. Also Leonard Attman, Neil Meltzer, Stephen Miles, Ron Shapiro, Arnold Kleiner, Willard Hackerman, Eve Messing, Barb Bakalis, Dr. Sandra Quartner, Nora Gensler, Betsy Peisach, Isabel Levin, Carol Asch, Dr. Barry Blum, Steve Gorn, Mitch Peremel, Jeffrey Waranch, Cal Hamburger, Lewis Berkowitz, Shirley Snyder, Barb Singer, Sylvia Sklar, Erich Oppenheim, Jerry Krome, Frank Settleman, Don Nusinov, Jacqueline Wilen, Sally Kramer, Ellen Gottfried.
And Libby Fields, Nancy Rogers, Lisa Goldberg, Ben Fine, Richard Preisler, Barry Kaufman, Jacquie Segall, Judy Feldman, Janet Frenkil, Dora Waranch, Minnie Greenberg, Ben Dubin, Ruby Rosner, Marty Buckman, Rona Reinsfelder, Roslyn Miller, Aldo Rojtman, Helene Silfen, Sharon Thomas, Jaime Ruddie, Cindy Richard, Phyllis Kroser, Henry Sofer, Rob Goldstein, Anatoly Mendelson, Sharon Watts, Deb Hermann, Sarah Clark, Hal Kilberg, Charles Krengel and Austin Nusbaum.
Happy, happy birthday to each and every one and those celebrating birthdays not listed!
Hope you all enjoyed oodles of ice cream, cake and goodies! Especially the goodies!
Engagement congrats
Laura Fine to Ben Liebman
Emily Cohen to Jordan Lieberman
Marriage
Best wishes for wedded bliss: Rose (Vein) and Ted Thompson.
Newborns
Welcome to this trio of adorable precious bundles of joy:
A daughter, Lily Ann, to Jessica and David Warren
A son, Judah Samson, to Shira and Avi Gerver
A daughter, Margo Ilana to Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Schultz.
Mazel Tov to all! Enjoy with oodles of hugs and kisses and a few loveable squeezes on their eensie, weensie, tiny diapered tussies!
Anniversary congrats
A whopper gorgeous (diamond plus, plus, plus) 66th anniversary to Mildred and Eddie Attman. An equally gorgeous (diamond-plus) 61st anniversary to Evelyn and Bernie Smith!
WOW! 66 years and a 61st year! Fantabulous! We all wish Mildred and Eddie, Evelyn and Bernie many, many more wonderful anniversaries with good health and happiness! Yes!
A fab 59th anniversary Phyllis and Fredd Furman. A great 58th anniversary to Anita and Kenny Baum. A pretty (emerald) 55th anniversary Natalie and Dr. Bill Feinblum, Iris and Warren Keyser. A great 52nd anniversary Roz and Len Stoler, Evelyn and Larrty Kaminitz, Paulette and Julius Pollack. A wonderful 51st anniversary to Joan and Arnold Gresser, Miriam and Bernie Kirsh. Ringing in their (golden) big 5-0 half-century anniversary are Linda and Joel Smeyne.
An enjoyable 44th anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Berkowitz. An equally enjoyable 41st anniversary to Emily and Paul Singer.
A very happy 37th anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Frank. A fab 37th anniversary to Sharon and Captain Heber Watts Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Charles Frank. A pretty (coral) 35th anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Balser.
A very happy 28th anniversary to Linda and Andy Benjamin. Celebrating their (silver) 25th quarter-century anniversary are Mary and Paul Cohen. An equally very happy 20th anniversary to Sally and Lee Kramer, Yanina and Leon Giller, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Mendelsohn.
A beautiful (crystal) 15th anniversary to Drs. Wendy and Roger Blumenthal.
A wonderful 3rd anniversary to Cyndie and Rob Jacobson.
Happy anniversary also Ailene and Michael Sher, JoAnn and Jack Fruchtman Jr.
Happy anniversary to all of the above and those celebrating anniversaries not listed! May you all enjoy many, many more wonderful anniversary simchas! L'Chaim!
Shannon and Taylor Stern, tween/teen, young adult, 20 and under-30 social columnists
Bat Mitzvah
Mazel Tov Olivia Adelman and Taylor Saval
Bar Mitzvah
Mazel Tov Brett Cohen, Dylan Coleman and Ryan Marder.
B'nai Mitzvah
Double Mazel Tov to Allison and Matthew Davis teenagers of Monica and Steve Davis.
Happy young adult birthdays to Andrea Himmelrich, Tim Miller, Devon Taylor, Gil Kutler, Dean Udell and Blake Peremel.
Happy 20-something and under-30 birthdays to Linda Quartner, Danny Friedman.
Happy birthday to all the double-digit, Bat and Bar Mitzvah celebrants, young adult, 20-something and under-30 birthday celebrants not listed! Happy milestone birthdays all!
Note
The State of Israel celebrates it's 64th birthday this month! Happy birthday Israel! Hopefully one day their will be PEACE!
Holiday
Saturday, April 14, is the 8th and last day of Passover 2012.
Reminder
Tax deadline this year has been extended to Tuesday, April 17, unless you are filing for an extension.
Memo
Shabbat candle-lighting time, Friday evening, April 13, the 7th day of Passover, is 7:24 p.m.
Have and enjoy a terrific week! Everyone!