For all of you who have been curious, here's an update on how Blazersedge Night is shaping up.

The event is going to be held on Monday, January 25th when the Blazers host the Hornets in the Rose Garden.  Our goal is to send 400 area kids who wouldn't otherwise ever be able to attend a game.  We do this out of love for the community and to extend Blazer fandom to another generation.

At this point, two weeks after we announced the event, we have sold 182 of the 400 tickets.  That means we're 45.5% of the way there, which is a great start.  THANK YOU to everyone who has bought tickets for these kids!

Another exciting aspect of this project is that we're starting to get calls from teachers and principals who know kids who would be floored if they were able to go.  We're hearing stories of communities where 80% or more of the students are on some kind of assistance.  We're hearing stories of teachers working to get through to students and of students who suddenly brighten up if the Blazers are mentioned.  One of the wonderful things about this project is that it's completely grassroots.  There's no middle man.  We purchase the tickets and send them directly to people in need.  These same people we hear about are exactly the folks that get the tickets.  And this is starting to snowball into something big.

182 tickets is an amazing start.  But usually there's a big rush at the beginning, a severe lull in the middle, and another rush late.  We don't want to leave 200 tickets to be sold in the last weeks.  That would mean not being able to tell the kids they were going for sure.

So here's what we need now:

• If you haven't purchased a ticket or two, would you consider it?  The information is below.  It's not very expensive.  You can even donate smaller amounts through our PayPal account.
• This is the time to get together with friends or co-workers.  If your office pooled together, maybe you could do something.  Even one buddy and you makes an easy one-ticket purchase without stretching too far.
• The holidays are coming.  Instead of getting another ugly tie, you could let people know that a ticket for one of the kids would be a great present this year.
• If you own a business or know someone who does, we'd be happy to give a shout out if a business purchases a block of tickets.  I don't chain myself to traffic numbers but the last ones I saw said we got three-quarters of a million visits in July alone and the October-November numbers should be bigger with the season starting.  Every time I post about the event I'd be happy to drop the name of your business and let people know that you helped.
• If you're a blogger and buy some tickets for kids, let me know.  I will link the heck out of you and make people aware of your work.
• For all of you college patriots, we finally found a way to do the University Challenge that makes sense.  We're going to pit the U of O versus EVERYONE else.  Reader PhillyDuck23 has agreed to be the coordinator for the Ducks.  If you buy (or have bought) charity tickets and are a Ducks supporter, e-mail him at phillyduck23@hotmail.com  He'll keep the tally for that side.  I will be the unofficial rep for the rest of the state.  If you support someone besides the Ducks and buy tickets, let me know.  When all of the tickets are gone we'll compare the results.  If the Ducks supporters win they get a full post on the B.E. front page detailing why they're the greatest university ever.  If the rest of the world wins there will be a post about why everyone else is better than the Ducks.  (I might even let a few Huskies fans in on the deal...you never know.)  Only charity tickets count in this race.

Here is the pertinent information.  Please do what you can.

Blazersedge Night:  Monday, January 25th:  Blazers vs. Hornets

Tickets sell for $22 each.  There is a $5 service charge per order no matter what the size.  Save money by buying tickets together with friends.

How to Order

You can call the Blazers directly at 503-797-9637.  Tell them you're ordering for Blazersedge Night and that you want the tickets to be donated to the kids.  (Side Note:  We also have a block of tickets reserved for BE folks who want to attend.  You can buy seats for yourself if you wish.)  The Blazers accept all of the usual forms of payment.

You can also make a PayPal donation to blazersedge22@yahoo.com.  We will pool the money collected and purchase tickets with it.  You can donate multiple tickets or partial amounts...anything is welcome.

You can also e-mail me directly at blazersub@yahoo.com  if you'd prefer to send a check via snail mail.

 Click here to read stories from last year's event.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Update:  We had a nice note from a member of our armed services serving overseas.  He bought a block of 20 tickets to honor his fellow service members and to remind us all that the armed forces do a lot of productive, community-building things as well as pursuing their more overt duties of keeping the peace.  Many thanks to our friend and to all who serve.