“With my last breath and my last step, I promise I will continue to help raise money for Parkinson’s patients who live each and every day with this disease. I will also raise money for research and for the caregivers, and do anything I can with the fight against this terrible disease.… – Brent Peterson
That quote from Predators radio color analyst Brent Peterson inspires me. There are so many efforts out there to eradicate diseases and conditions and all of them are worthy… supporting one doesn’t denigrate the others, but this one hits home for me.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system… That’s the dictionary description. It a worthy cause given the impacts and I would be supporting it, but this one is very personal to me.
Parkinson’s took my father from my family… took him from my mother and took him way too early… took him before he had a chance to see his grandchildren grow up and become the fine individuals they are… took him before he had a chance to hear his son announce an NHL game… took him before his time.
I remember when my father’s tremors began, with each successive visit I saw how this disease impacted his life, taking little bits of him. How it affected his mobility and impacted him being able to do the things he loved. Like I said, this one is personal.
A few years after my father’s passing, I saw this disease impact another good man, a man I am now proud to call my friend. At the time, Preds Associate Head Coach Brent Peterson was looked at as a potential head coach in the NHL.
Then came his diagnosis with Parkinson’s and the way this disease stole his NHL head coaching dream.
I saw this disease try to do the same to Brent as it did to my father. Stealing bit after bit... but the technology and treatments had advanced in the interim, and as Brent's mobility and health were severely threatened, he opted to undergo a radical “deep brain stimulation… procedure. The results were frankly, miraculous. Since the procedure, Brent has been so much more active, his mobility greatly improved, his life positively impacted… but it isn’t a cure.
Learn a little more through this video…
I have been honored to be part of the Board of Directors of the foundation for a couple of years. Tonight and tomorrow is the unofficial puck drop on the season as two of the main fundraising activities for PFP happen. Petey’s Preds Party at Bridgestone Arena is tonight and tomorrow is the 5th annual First Tennessee Brent Peterson Golf Classic presented by Franklin American Mortgage. These events raise funds for both PFP and the Nashville Predators Foundation.
There are still a few tickets left for this event to help raise awareness and funds for these worthy causes. The Silent Auction items look amazing, from a West Coast roadie with the team to the chance to join Pred broadcasters in the booth to work a broadcast. Of course there is an extensive collection of signed jerseys and sports memorabilia along with a grouping of signed guitars.
For purely selfish reasons, I wish this effort existed 20 years ago. I may have gotten a few more good years with my dad, but PFP’s work is directly affecting Parkinson’s patients, extending lives and positively impacted their quality of life in Middle Tennessee and across North America. If you can, come on out tonight, have some fun mixing and mingling with coaches, players, front office staff and broadcasters… enjoy a bite and a cocktail, enjoy some great entertainment with the hockey family.
Everything gets going at 5:30pm with a reception, dinner at 7 and entertainment at 8pm. Tickets are available at the Preds website.
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Random Notes
- Five days and a wake up to the preseason opening double header… 24 days to Opening Night.
- The rookie tournament continues in Estero, FL. The baby Preds are 1-1, losing to Tampa Bay 5-1 on Saturday and beating Florida 5-2 Sunday. The final game is Tuesday morning at 9am against Washington. The games are being live streamed on nashvillepredators.com
- Saturday’s goal scorer was Kevin Fiala, Sunday the baby Preds got goals from Pontus Aberg, Garrett Noonan, Viktor Arvidsson, Yakov Trenin and Vladislav Kamenev.
- The impact of the 365 Cancer Fund was evident as Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber presented a check for almost $400,000 to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
- Chicago managed to dump more salary by trading Kris Versteeg to Carolina, then managed to get Marcus Kruger signed. The more interesting piece of that trade may be Joakim Nordstrom, Hurricane fans should be happy about that fortification to their blueline.
- The story that hit late last week about Ryan Clowe’s concussions is disturbing to say the least. His doctors refuse to medically clear him to play after the latest concussion, suffered last November.
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Season eight of SlapShot Radio is on the way! The season premier is set for Wednesday October 7th at 7pm on 102.5 the Game when Pete Weber and I preview Nashville’s All-Star season.
SlapShot Radio is the longest running hockey show in the mid-south delivering great hockey talk to the most energetic and engaged fans in radio. Nashville will be a focus to the entire league as Music City hosts the All-Star game and we’ve got room for your business to be part of the SlapShot Radio family with effective and affordable advertising packages for every budget. Advertisers… reach out to me to access our activated listener base via email at paul(@)slapshotradio(dot)com
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