Final Number of Underprivileged Kids Helped Through Blazer's Edge Night Is Huge

With the Blazers stuck in the middle of a losing streak and the season winding to an end, I figured we could use some GOOD news around here.

You may recall that last month we put out a final call for help sending underprivileged kids to our annual Blazer's Edge Night. We asked you, our readers, to give what you could in order to make a difference in the lives of these youth and their chaperons, creating the next generation of Blazers fans along the way.

This event has grown every year. Starting from a modest donation of three tickets we immediately blossomed to 50. The next year it was 100. And then to the moon. We've also uncovered plenty of need in the community. Teachers and principals and all kinds of folks who work with all kinds of kids have written and called. Requests for tickets this year came immediately and stayed strong.

We were almost afraid it was more than we could cope with. When I put out the plea on March 11th we had 350 tickets bought. That was only 70% of the requests we had in at that point and was about half of our maximum allotment.

It took one day--less that 24 hours--for you to help us max out the lot. In fact we went over. Our ticket agent told us we had completely bought out the tickets still available at our price level, and this after she had scraped together every last extra seat in response to your generosity.

The final number came in last Friday. 750 kids and chaperons are going to the April 17th game versus the Warriors because of you. 750 times we were able to say yes to people who are looking forward to being able to do something special for the deserving kids in their lives. 750 pairs of hands and feet will be clapping and stomping in the Rose Garden that night because of you.

Only 24 hours passed between March 11th and March 12th, 2013. At the beginning of that span I looked at the balance sheet between requests and tickets available, shook my head, and said, "Oh my gosh." Less that 24 hours later that changed to me jumping up and down and saying "OH MY GOSH!!!!" Then I got to tell Dan, our ticket coordinator, that he could begin making some very happy phone calls...to everyone who had asked.

Thanks, Blazer's Edge. This community is amazing.

How do you feel about getting our request in even earlier in 2014 and going for 1000?

--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)