Back for Second Season, UMaine Business Faculty Fit to Face Young Athletes
Contact: Contacts: Nory Jones, 581-1995; George Manlove, 581-3756/ cell phone: 458-9296
ORONO – Back for a second season, members of the UMaine Business School faculty are prepping for a return to the ice at Alfond Arena for the second annual Broomball game to benefit the Bangor offices of the Maine Children’s Miracle Network.
This year’s challenge takes place from 6-6:20 p.m. Feb. 18, before the start of and during the first period break of the men’s UMaine-Boston College hockey game.
Last year, the business school faculty and members of the UMaine women’s hockey team raised several thousand dollars for CMN. This year, with planning and organizational assistance from all of the business school student organizations in addition to student volunteers from honor societies, fraternities and sororities, they hope to top last year’s goal.
Student volunteers already have begun fundraising by contacting area businesses about pledging cash donations or gifts for the raffle. Tickets will be sold during the UMaine-BC game at Alfond arena.
The game Feb. 18 will see another rivalry between the generations, as professors and student athletes struggle to stay on their feet, as well as score points for this second annual fundraising effort.
Student athletes this year come from the UMaine football team, which will field players to face the women faculty members, and the UMaine women’s volleyball team, which will square off against male business faculty players.
The broomball game comprises players with broomball sticks and sneakers instead of ice skates, squaring off at center ice for the beginning of three short game periods. A referee will drop a rubber ball between the two teams to start the action. Players try to put an orange ball into the opposing team’s net, using only plastic “brooms” instead of hockey sticks.
CMN is a national non-profit organization that helps children suffering from serious injuries and diseases like cancer, heart disease, asthma, cystic fibrosis, pediatric AIDS and muscular dystrophy. CMN hospitals in Maine count more than 110,000 patient visits annually. The Children’s Miracle Network uses 100 percent of locally raised money to fund local hospital treatment equipment and services.
The annual broomball fundraiser is an excellent project for several reasons, says Nory Jones, assistant professor of management information systems in the business school. It raises money for a worthwhile charity; it allows the business school to partner with area businesses in a common cause; and it helps college students learn that corporate citizenship includes volunteering for community and charitable causes.
Coaching the faculty team this year are UMaine President Bob Kennedy and his wife Professor Mary Rumpho Kennedy, back for a second year. UMaine football coach Jack Cosgrove will coach the student athletes. Referees include Blake James, interim athletic director, and Ted Woodward, head coach of the UMaine men’s basketball team.
The student lineup includes volleyball members Justine Chabot, Jody Connacher, Shelly Seipp, Ashlee Wright, Jessica Wolfenden, Amy Lawson, Lindsay Allman, Brittany Kiehl, Margaret Page, Laura Goettsch and Katrina Fruehauf.
Coach Cosgrove is still selecting his lineup for the game. During a recent practice session, the strapping football players towered comically over the women faculty members.
The business school will field includes Dan Innis, dean of the College of Business, Public Policy and Health, associate college Dean Gloria Vollmers and professors Pank Agrrawal, Dave Barrett, Steve Colburn, Wendy Coons, Bret Golann, Omar Khan, Nory Jones, Sheila Pechinski, David Steiger, Natalie Steiger, Robert Strong and Rich Grant, director of graduate programs in the business school.
Student organizations and their representatives helping with the project include UMaine chapter of the American Marketing Association, Institute of Management Accountants, Maine Student Portfolio Investment Fund of the University of Maine Foundation (Spiffy), Management Information Systems Association, Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity and graduate and undergraduate students.
Raffle prizes include a hockey jersey from the UMaine Bookstore signed by the team, hockey stick signed by the team, gift certificate from the Black Bear Inn, $100 from Dick’s Sporting Goods, $25 from Sam’s Club, gift certificate from the Sea Dog, an iPod Shuffle from the UMaine Computer Connection and more. Information is available by calling Professor Nory Jones at 581-1995 or Wendy Haehnel at 581-1976.