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Now that the club is up and running, I want to start a fresh thread with all of the info summed up right at the start, for the benefit of any folks who are new to the forum and/or club. The original thread has been closed, renamed "Early Days of the IceMen Maniacs Booster Club," and moved to The Office for safe-keeping...

MISSION STATEMENT:

The Evansville IceMen Maniacs Booster Club is dedicated to assisting the players, staff, and IceMen organization with off-ice needs, by using fund-raising and donations in order to provide for the team through the Evansville IceMen Players' Association. We hope to enrich fan and player interaction, and create a more enjoyable hockey experience for both the players and the fans.

CLUB CONTACTS:

Board of Directors:
• President: Dixie Halber, a.k.a. Gibbie42 (dixie.halber@gmail.com)
• Vice President: Drew Campbell, a.k.a. Gonzo85 (dc_roadrunner_04@hotmail.com)
• Treasurer: Steve Halber, Accountant (marco23569@yahoo.com)
• Club-Player Relations: Bob Gober, a.k.a. hydronicsbob (bgo34@aol.com)
• Co-Founder: Michael Shockley, a.k.a. Shocker (stormfreak44@yahoo.com)

Other particularly active members include:
• Amanda Shockley (ajjohnson45@yahoo.com)
• Ashley Simpson, a.k.a. Simp (simp.photo@gmail.com)
• Kelly Collier, a.k.a. icygirl (kelcollier98@live.com)
• Mike Williams, a.k.a. icemenfamily (bluesfanplus1@yahoo.com)
• Preston Rhew, a.k.a. HOCKEYDAD (racefan1288@insightbb.com)

IceMen Front Office:
• General Manager: Chip Rossetti (evansvilleicemen@yahoo.com)
• Director of Operations: Bridget McDonald (bpierce85@hotmail.com)

For the record, here is GM Chip Rossetti's public endorsement of the Booster Club:
"I want to say a special thank you to the Maniacs. You guys make my job so much more fun. Seeing the excitement and enthusiasm that you guys bring to each and every game makes it so much more fulfilling. You guys are the reason that I put this thing together and I am thrilled that you are enjoying it."

FUND-RAISING & ACTIVITIES:

The Booster Club uses fun and interactive fund-raisers to enrich the atmosphere at home games, helping the players in the process. As is typical in the low minors of any sport, the IceMen are paid a small league-limited salary on a per-game basis, and many of the players share apartments and work other jobs during the week. The Booster Club works to help provide the players with everyday needs at home (furniture, appliances, kitchenware, etc.) as well as hockey-specific needs (skate sharpening, athletic tape, and other various equipment). All donations are directed into the Evansville IceMen Players' Association Fund, which uses a secure Fifth/Third Bank account and is operated by Team Captain Isaac Coy and a committee of team leaders. Direct donations (cash or otherwise) to individual players are not permissible, and would be a violation of the AAHA's salary policies.

The Booster Club's primary fund-raising takes place at all IceMen home games. The Booster Club table is located at the south-end spotlight platform, at the top of the stands about 50 feet away from the entry doors. Club offerings this season include IceMen mini cow bells, face-painting, and colored hair spray. All items are $5 or less, designed to encourage fans to support the team and create a festive atmosphere. We are already exploring options for additional fund-raising ideas for next season.

The Booster Club table is manned by members of the club who volunteer their time and efforts. The IceMen organization understands and appreciates the volunteers' dedication - so when you work the table, you get into the game for FREE. You have a great seat to see all of the action, and you should be able to watch the vast majority of the game because almost all of the "work" activity comes before the game and during intermissions. If you're interested in working the table and watching IceMen hockey for FREE, please e-mail Dixie or reply to this thread.

Additionally, Booster Club Vice President Drew Campbell is always monitoring the Evansville FreeCycle group - a non-profit website dedicated to the free exchange of unwanted furniture and other household items, aiming to minimize unnecessary landfill use. FreeCycle has over 6 million users worldwide, and more than 4700 in the Evansville group. The Booster Club has already secured several items for the team through FreeCycle, and will continue to attempt to fill applicable needs through this environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient avenue.

Of course, the IceMen Maniacs aren't all about work! While the fund-raising is a critical aspect of the club, we also want to have some plain old fun. During the hockey season, we'll organize group road trips to IceMen away games, and hold Stanley Cup viewing parties. And we'd like to have the occasional social gathering during the summer as well - bowling, miniature golf, Otters games, etc. All work and no play makes for a boring booster club, right?

WHERE DO I SIGN UP?

The IceMen Maniacs Booster Club is always looking for new members. There is no membership fee, although certain activities (road trips and the like) will require some individual funding. If you're not already a part of the Booster Club but you would like to be, you can join in 3 ways - reply to this thread with your full name and e-mail address, send Dixie an e-mail with your info, or visit the Booster Club table at any home game and provide your info on the registration clipboard.

Thank you for reading, and thanks for supporting the IceMen!

~ The Maniacs