Charitable Donations: A Contest!

It's been a while since I've written a piece on the work that NHL players are doing within out communities to make the lives of people better, but today seemed like a great day for this after receiving an email from a lady named Natalie. Natalie wrote me so that I could bring to light a contest involving an NHL player who was diagnosed with a serious disease at the start of the 2007-08 NHL season. Fernando Pisani of the Edmonton Oilers missed 26 games to start that season after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and is now championing the fight against this disease. Today, HBIC wants to bring to you the foundation that Pisani has partnered with, and the contest they are offering for children aged 10 to 12 across Canada who want a chance to skate with Mr. Pisani in camp designed for them.

Mission Statement: The Canadian Society of Intestinal Research is a registered charity that was founded on October 18, 1976. CSIR is dedicated to funding education and research regarding gastrointestinal diseases and disorders, and relies on fees, donations, and funds from special events to help their cause. With these funds, CSIR helps scientists and doctors search for cures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, such as Crohn's Disease and colitis, by providing grants for research initiatives.

How Did CSIR Start?: According to their website, "the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research (CSIR) arose as the first charity in Canada to enhance public awareness by covering the widest array of GI diseases and disorders and by funding medical research" in 1976.

Statistically, the number of people suffering from the various Inflammatory Bowel Diseases is staggering. According to the CSIR website, "as many as 6 million Canadians with irritable bowel syndrome, more than 9 million with functional dyspepsia, almost 8 million with chronic acid reflux (GERD), and a further 165,000 suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's and ulcerative colitis)". And, of course, Fernando Pisani is one of those suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Thanks to Mr. Pisani and CSIR, a contest, called the Score for Colitis and Crohn's Contest, is being run for children to take part in a hockey camp run by Mr. Pisani in Edmonton, Alberta. Children that want to enter must be between the ages of 10 and 12, and are required to send in a one-page essay on one of the following three topics:

• What it is like to have someone close to them living with the inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).
• What it is like to have Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.
• what it would mean to them to help raise funds for people living with these diseases and to be coached by NHL hockey player Fernando Pisani.

The deadline for this contest is August 7, 2009 at 6pm. There are three ways to get your essay in for consideration.

1. Email your essay to them at ScoreForColitisandCrohns@sixdegreesmed.com.
2. Fax your essay to them at 416-643-8572.
3. Snail mail your essay to the following address:

Score for Colitis and Crohn's
c/o Six Degrees Medical Consulting
10 Bay Street - 16th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 2S3

Honestly, this is a pretty cool contest being run by CSIR in association with Fernando Pisani. The best news? There are TWO winners per province! The hockey camp will take place on August 29, 2009 in Edmonton, Alberta, and each winner will be accompanied by one parent or guardian if selected. Included in the package are round-trip, economy flights for each winner and his or her parent/guardian, and one-night accommodation in Edmonton.

What may make this even better is that the game played by the contest winners will be sponsored by Schering-Plough Canada. Schering-Plough Canada has committed to donating $500 per goal scored for "each of four patient associations dedicated to raising public awareness and helping Canadians who suffer from these various gastrointestinal and digestive diseases". Those four associations are the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada, and the March IBD Care Foundation.

If you're reading this and you have a youngster at home between the ages of 10 and 12, have them sign up. This sounds like a great contest, and it's an excellent opportunity to bring to light those who may suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It really puts things into perspective, especially when you see Fernando Pisani's young family.

Thanks for the heads-up on this great contest, Natalie!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!