Chicago Culture, Celebrity, Arts & Entertainment
Chicago culture, arts & entertainment with Billy Dec

Browsing all posts tagged with chicago blackhawks.

11/01/12

Champs for Charity Good for Players & Fans

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It’s a tough time to be a hockey fan. The ongoing lockout doesn’t seem to be near an end at all, games are being canceled handfuls at a time, and the list of players signing overseas continues to grow.

Despite the lockout, players from around the league have been arranging charity games.  Last Friday, Adam Burish, former Blackhawk (and current San Jose Shark) arranged Champs for Charities at Allstate Arena with an all-star roster that benefitted Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana – a charity close to the Blackhawks organization.

The game certainly did not disappoint the fans.  If anything, it left us all wanting & longing for more. The all-star roster was split into 2 teams: Team Chicago (all current/former Hawks, except for Joe Corvo) vs. Team World (basically players with no ties to Chicago, except for Daniel Carcillo).

Team Chicago consisted of Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd, Jake Dowell, Troy Brouwer, Jamal Mayers, Craig Adams, Adam Burish, Patrick Kane, Jim Vandermeer, James Wisniewski, Brian Campbell, Joe Corvo, Craig Anderson and captained by Jonathan Toews.  Team World was made up of Bobby Ryan, Greg Campbell, Jordan Staal, Daniel Carcillo, Mike Brown, Antti Miettinen, Shawn Thornton, Ville Leino, Jared Boll, Ryan Suter, Alex Goligoski, Tom Gilbert, Niklas Backstrom and captained by Kimmo Timonen.  Robbie Gould, from the Chicago Bears, was the celebrity coach for for Team World and Ryan Dempster, former Cubs pitcher, for Team Chicago.

The game was everything fans wanted: fun, light-hearted and high scoring.  During the 3rd period Danny Carcillo jumped over the boards of the Chicago bench and started “fighting” with Dempster. The final score was a tie: 15-15.   To determine a winner there was a 5 round shootout with Daniel Carcillo being the final shooter; if he made his shot, World won, if he missed the shootout continued. Carcillo made his shot and proceeded to taunt the Chicago bench at which point Toews jumped over the boards and tackled Carcillo.

In the end, the night was a complete success raising a total of $323,500 for RMHC-CNI –  $73,500 over the initial fundraising goal set for the event – and the fans got to see some of their favorite players hit the ice.  Go here to see the entire set of pictures from the game.

-Alex Chwastek & Grace Sweeney

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05/18/11

Make A Wish w/ Jordan, Daley, Corgan, Urlacher, Blackhawks, Rockit Ranch & more!

Art, basketball, blackhawks, celebrities, charity, chicago, chicago bears, fashion, Football, Fundraiser, General, Homepage Feature, nightlife, sports


The Make A Wish Foundation of Illinois is celebrating their 25th Anniversary of their Gala the “Wish Ball” this Saturday May 21st by honoring 25 people and organizations that they have deemed “Leaders In Joy!”  I am beyond honored to say that I am among this humbled group along others like Michael Jordan, Mayor Daley & Maggie Daley, Larry Wert, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Brian Urlacher, the Chicago Blackhawks and more. Since 1985 Make A Wish has been granting special wishes to children facing life threatening illnesses giving each child the power to decide the nature of their wish, providing a sense of renewed faith, courage and self-confidence. These are not in any way “last wishes” but experiences that remind the wish kids that although everything in their world seems to be falling apart, there is still good and magic out there, and I love that message.

As much as there are “Leaders In Joy” being honored, to me this event will be way more about celebrating the work that the Make A Wish team has done by granting nearly 10,000 wishes across the state! One of those wishes was for an awesome little girl, Sydney Martin, (in picture above) that I had the pleasure of meeting last March when helping her present her necklace jewelry line in a run-way show. I blogged about Sydney right after not only because I was extremely moved by her story, but also I was excited about her talents & future.  She was diagnosed in 2007 with an extremely rare blood disease called Langerhan’s Cell Histicytosis (LCH), and started her own necklace line she has used to raise over $120,000 for LCH research.  I’m just inspired by that, and feel like I got just as much out of helping, as she may have received by being granted a wish.

Because of the wonderful feelings and giving all the way around, I’m really looking forward to honoring her, the many many other kids like her, and all those that have been an important part of building the Illinois chapter in to the largest and most well-known wish-granting organization in the region.. to be included in that is something I will always cherish.

For more information about the Make A Wish Foundation and this year’s Wish Ball – please take the time to visit www.wishes.org.

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06/17/10

Ellen Live TBS Show at Chicago Theatre!

Art, blackhawks, celebrities, chicago, Comedy, General, Music, nightlife, Theater

I love to share awesome prizes, tickets, vip passes…to all the experiences I get invited to w/ all my friends and followers on facebook and twitter (click on them to get in on it!). Yesterday I made up a fun lil contest to take a couple fans to Ellen’s amazing live show at The Chicago Theatre…you got to see these pics & read this review that one of the winners wrote, it’s awesome!

(more…)

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06/15/10

Blackhawks, Stanley Cup, Cubs vs Sox…Chicago Celebration Pics!

blackhawks, chicago, nightlife, Pictures

Crazy weekend from Blackhawks to Cubs/Sox… and as you know, I always try to share the chicago behind the scenes here… so enjoy a quick look at some of my pics… from pre-parade celebration last Thursday night that all started at rockit.. until 5a yesterday morning!

And btw, sorry to all who couldn’t get to see the cup in Wrigleyville after the game as the players had texted me they had planned… said the city/cops felt after last weds it could just get way too mobbed w/cubs v sox crowd on top of it all…probably right… thank you players for letting me know as soon as rerouted w/in minutes of game ending (which I immediately forwarded on to all on facebook & twitter) so didn’t have to wait around… you all rock… sure everyone in chi will see it this summer all over town.. as it’s “a chicago thing” now! look at some of my pics

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06/08/10

video of me shooting the puck at blackhawks game 5 nhl stanley cup finals!

blackhawks, celebrities, chicago, General, nightlife, sports, Video

Just had one of the coolest experiences ever and wanted to share with you!! Check this video out of me picked to “shoot the puck” on the ice at united center sunday night during the blackhawks game 5 of the Stanley cup finals in front of 22,000+ screaming fans!  And on such an important game!  One more win to go and we break the longest current Stanley cup drought of 49yrs!

As you see in the video, my buddy billy bush from “access hollywood” thinks its going to be game 7 (fyi if so, he’s flying back and the 2 of us are throwing the after party- follow me on twitter for the details!), but I think its going to happen game 6! They are on fire! go blackhawks!!!!!!

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02/09/10

Chicago Blackhawks' Brian Campbell Foundation Texas Hold 'Em Event!

blackhawks, charity, chicago, General, Video

campbell-2

Shout out to Chicago Blackhawks’ brian campbell for launching his new foundation “Campbell for Kids” raising funds for chicagoland charities helping children w/ learning disabilities, autism & other special needs!
Join brian, other pro-athletes & celebs tmrw/Weds (2/10) at Horseshoe Casino for a fun texas hold’em tournament charity launch party! Not only are there cash prizes, but I love that if you beat a Blackhawk or other celebrity player you get the jersey off their back!
Drinks, Food, Gaming, Live Entertainment, silent/live auctions,.. & more! Tickets at www.campbellforkids.org! roundtrip shuttles from Rockit Bar & Grill(22 W Hubbard) leaving at 4:20pm, 5:05pm, 5:50pm, 6:50pm & back for the Official AfterParty @ Rockit are free!  Seeya there!

Shout out to Chicago Blackhawks’ brian campbell for launching his new foundation “Campbell for Kids” raising funds for chicagoland charities helping children w/ learning disabilities, autism & other special needs!

Join brian, other pro-athletes & celebs tmrw/Weds (2/10) at Horseshoe Casino for a fun texas hold’em tournament charity launch party! Not only are there cash prizes, but I love that if you beat a Blackhawk or other celebrity player you get the jersey off their back!

Drinks, Food, Gaming, Live Entertainment, silent/live auctions,.. & more! Tickets at www.campbellforkids.org! roundtrip shuttles from Rockit Bar & Grill (22 W Hubbard) leaving at 4:20pm, 5:05pm, 5:50pm, 6:50pm & back for the Official AfterParty @ Rockit are free!  Seeya there!

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