August 3, 2004

As we prepare for the Playoffs, I'm always excited and saddened at the same time. The Playoffs bring an end to a very long and in this year's case, a very wet season. Each year I have the opportunity to get to know many of you and get accustomed to speaking with you on a regular basis. I hear feedback from all of the teams and I'm always interested in trying new things to improve the camaraderie among teams. One of the constant things I hear is that it would be great to have more exposure among the various teams. 

As everyone knows, each year the League donates to a Charitable cause in memory of Kevin. In year's past, we have donated for research into Marfen's syndrome which is a heart disease that was the cause of Kevin's passing. Beginning last year, we changed our donation to benefit the Martin C. Burrell school which is a school out in Levittown that offers special services for children with Autism. 

This year, I'm going to try do one additional event to raise money and hopefully bring everyone from the various teams together. I'm trying to finalize all the details by the end of the week, but I wanted to gauge the interest from all of the teams. The basic feedback from the five teams I have spoken with has been great. My thoughts are to conduct a bowling fundraiser on Saturday, August 21 at 7:30 P.M. at Brunswick Woodhaven Lanes right off Metropolitan Avenue in Flushing. 

I have a friend who serves as a volunteer for Montel's MS charity and we were speaking this weekend. I told him that we have 18 teams in the League. Each roster may have up to 25 team members. Even if we got just 4 people per team, we would have over 72 people to have a good time on a Saturday evening and raise money for a good cause. Depending upon the level of interest, we may try to have a few promotions such as books, passes to the Montel Williams show which is filmed in New York, and maybe even a team prize.

Please circulate among your teams and let me know if there is any interest. This is optional event and is not required for anyone to participate. The League is not being compensated by the Montel Williams Foundation. It is just a good cause and an opportunity for the numerous teams to have a good time with teammates, adversaries, family and friends at a reasonable cost!

If transportation is an issue, we have already discussed the possibility of selecting a location for everyone to meet to transport everyone. Below you'll find additional details about the disease and the Montel Williams foundation.

Thanks,

Larry
917-807-0947

THE DETAILS

This is to invite you to join me for a bowling fund-raiser on Saturday, August 21, 2004, at 7:30 p.m. at Woodhaven Lanes. This event is a part of Strike Down MS Summer, an initiative to raise funds to eradicate a disease that affects both friends and family members of ours: multiple sclerosis. The following answers the many questions you might have about this project and how you can help. 

WHAT IS STRIKE DOWN MS SUMMER?

Strike Down MS Summer, the brainchild of The Montel Williams MS Foundation and Brunswick Bowling & Billiards, is a summer-long initiative to raise funds for MS research. 

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

By purchasing special $25 vouchers you can bowl at any of Brunswick’s 104 centers across the country. The vouchers entitle you to 3 games of bowling or an hour and a half on the lanes, and bowling shoe rental. Brunswick will donate $15 to the Foundation for every voucher you buy.

WHEN SHOULD I BOWL?

You can bowl on any day you choose, through Tuesday, August 31, though I hope that you will join me on Saturday, August 21, 2004, at 7:30 p.m. at Woodhaven Lanes in Glendale. The address of this Brunswick is 72-25 Woodhaven Blvd., and the phone number is 718 896 1800. If you choose to bowl on your own, it is a good idea to call the Brunswick center of your choice to make sure that it is not league night and that all the lanes are not sold out. 

If you have a group that is more than 20 and may be interested you might consider calling in advance to reserve lanes, or contact me to direct you on how to proceed. For a full list of centers, please log on to www.brunswickbowling.com and click on to "Find a Center" on the left hand side. 

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?

Please bring some friends as this could potentially be an annual event for all us to participate in! Please e-mail me back your response.

Please make a donation to:
The Montel Williams MS Foundation
331 West 57th St., PMB #420
New York, NY 10019
212 830 0348

The Montel Williams MS Foundation is a 501 C-3 nonprofit, and your gift will be fully deductible to the extent allowed by the law. For more information on the Foundation, please log on to www.montelms.org.