Quick Hits: June 27, 2018
1) The Trial on the Isle is today in Stone Harbor, NJ. The Trial is led by Flyers head athletic trainer/director of sports medicine, Jim McCrossin. The schedule is as follows:
* 12:30 p.m. – Community Caravan & Clinic for Kids, Stone Harbor Elementary School (275 93rd St). * 1:15 p.m. – Prospect Autograph Session, Stone Harbor Elementary School * 3:30 p.m. – Beach Volleyball Tournament, 95th St. Beach
At the Community Caravan event, fans will have access to Flyers-themed inflatables, including a rink set to host skills clinics with prospects and Flyers Alumni (Brad Marsh and others), plus tailgate games, trivia, giveaways, photo opportunities, and more.
All prospects participating in the event will be available to sign autographs at the school beginning at 1:15 p.m. Admission to the signing is $10.
At 3:30 p.m., prospects will square off against members of the U.S. Coast Guard for a beach volleyball tournament at 95th Street Beach. All events included throughout the day are open to the public.
2) Elsewhere on HockeyBuzz today, Paul Stewart shares a personal story about the family of Flyers first-round pick Jay O'Brien -- his grandfather was Stewy's prep school coach, and a lifelong mentor and friend -- as well as his scouting report on the young player. Knowing Paul as well as I do, he is not someone who pulls any punches in his opinions. I trust his assessments as someone who has been in the game a combined 45 years between the playing and officiating sides of the sport. His assessment of Jay O'Brien's NHL upside is a very positive one.
3) Today in Flyers History: On June 27, 2015, the Flyers traded the remaining contract of Chris Pronger (retaining the equivalent of his salary for the year to make it budget neutral) and veteran defenseman Nicklas Grossmann to the Arizona Coyotes for forward Sam Gagner.
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2018 Toyota Flyers Charity Classic
The 2nd annual Flyers Charity Classic will take place on July 15, 2015. There have been some changes this year -- new bike routes, staggered start times, the creation of a Flyers Alumni Team, more entertainment and Fanfest activities, etc. -- but the basic setup is the same. As with last year, the event is sponsored by Toyota.
The Charity Classic is a city-wide event incorporating a 5k walk/run through the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a 10-mile family bike ride through the Navy Yard and FDR Park, and two bike rides – a 50K and a 100K – spanning the sights and sounds of Broad Street, through historic Valley Forge Park leading back through MLK Drive to the Wells Fargo Center Complex.
In addition to the Classic, families of participants and fans alike will have all-day access to the Flyers Fan Fest: family-friendly outdoor games, inflatables, street hockey, food and more. After-party live entertainment will be provided by Chico's Vibe.
The biggest participating team last year, both in terms of number of participants and funds raised, was the Ides of Marsh, captained by Brad Marsh. An avid long-distance cyclist, Brad and members of his family will be doing the 100k bike ride again this year. However, there will be team members taking part in all of the different events and everyone will be together later in the day for the after-party.
Last year, I did the 5k walk/run as an Ides of Marsh member and, thanks to the generosity of my HockeyBuzz readers, family members and friends, raised $425. I also lost weight over the summer getting ready for it. This year, my wife is also planning to take part with me in the family 5k, and our goal is raise money than last year as well as to lower my 5k finish time from last year (although the events are strictly for enjoyment, not a competition).
The Flyers Alumni Team, as with the Ides of Marsh, is open to the public to join and there will be able opportunity for fans to interact with their favorite Alumni during the day, even if they participate in a different event.
The confirmed participating Flyers Alumni Team members are as follows: Danny Briere (family 5k walk/run), Terry Carkner (family 10-mile bike ride), Bob Clarke (5k walk/run), Bill Clement (5k walk/run), Doug Crossman (5k walk/run), Paul Holmgren (100 k bike ride), Kerry Huffman (5k walk/run), Joe Kadlec (5k walk/run), Bob "the Hound" Kelly (5k walk/run), Ian Laperriere (100k bike ride), Neil Little (family 10-mile bike ride), Jim McCrossin (100k bike ride), Bernie Parent (family 10-mile bike ride), Ryan Parent (100k bike ride), Dave "the Hammer" Schultz (5k walk/run) and Joe Watson (family 10-mile bike ride). Chris Therien (5k) is organizing a team within the Alumni Team called Bundy's Chariot of Flyers.
Fans can also sign up for a team captained by Flyers Hall of Fame inductee Brian Propp. Brian's group is called Team Guffaw.
All proceeds raised from registrations and team fundraising benefit Flyers Charities and the Flyers Alumni Association and the various non-profit organizations they support throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. The Flyers Alumni component will be donated toward the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation's goal to build a new rink in the Delaware Valley for use by the Snider Hockey kids.
In terms of individual fundraising, there is an escalating scale of rewards offered:
$50 – Flyers ball cap.
$200 – pair of upper of level tickets to a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game for the 2018/19 season + Flyers ball cap.
$400 – pair of lower level tickets to a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game for the 2018/19 season + Flyers ball cap.
$1,000 – pair of Flyers tickets in the Alumni Party Suite, a Flyers jersey autographed by the Flyers Alumni + Flyers Ball Cap.
The game tickets will be for a mutually agreed upon Philadelphia Flyers home game in October of the 2018/19 season.
There is also a team fundraising incentive component, with Flyers Charities offering donations to a charity of the participating team's choice. More information is available here.