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Post by wildfire on Jan 26, 2008 14:21:14 GMT -5
Lori and Karen...you guys definitely ROCK!!!! Thanks for all the hard work and determination! Looks like it's starting to pay off! *Wink wink*
Karma to you for this info...that was one UNLUCKY squirrel however...LOL!
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Post by mtnme on Jan 26, 2008 16:05:46 GMT -5
There have been a couple of interesting developments this weekend. One of our members, Karen, had inquired at the Oval about how much it would cost for our group to be considered a 'sponsor' (therefore being invited to the VIP area). She was told that the minimum was $3000, which seemed reasonable considering there are about 30 of us who were probably willing to pony up for VIP tickets at $120-$150 for the weekend anyway (do the math)... however, there are a few problems. 1) The deadline for sponsorship commitments is Monday at noon, leaving us very little time, and 2) Most of us have already spent $50 for General Admission tickets, which would be money lost. Another related bit of news - Matt K had told me earlier that he was going to mention our group at their meeting last week regarding VIP tix, and he must have done that, 'cause I was also told by the same woman Karen talked to (Debbie) that they had decided to designate a special 'Ohnozone' area within the General Admission section, and that she might like to put something in the program about us. She was very interested in how we came together over the internet and became short-track fans and friends. I wasn't sure how they designated us the 'Ohnozone' group, but then I remembered telling Matt K that though we're from several different web 'homes', the one common thread was that virtually all of us read and/or post at OZ. The site is quite familiar to the skating community, so it seems appropriate to leave it like that and I'm hoping nobody here or any of our friends at DI feel excluded by the designation. Here are my thoughts about all of this... A sponsorship may have been do-able a month ago before everyone had bought their tickets, but would be difficult to accomplish at this late date. If anyone is really excited about this, feel free to PM me with what you'd donate to the effort - who knows what 30 determined people can accomplish! My inclination though is to accept the offer for the special seating area, forget trying to become a sponsor for the EVENT (the VIP area was nice, but it really wasn't 'all that'), and instead donate any of your extra dollars to sponsor a struggling SKATER. There is a Thomas McLean at USS who could be contacted about this. One last thing - Debbie said she'd need the names of people in our group who would like to be seated in our special section. If you want to be included, please PM me with your name. I was unclear as to whether she also wanted to put our names in the program, so when you PM me you should also let me know if you're comfortable with that... To make matters a little more complex, thanks to a defective surge protector and one very unfortunate squirrel (R.I.P.), my computer monitor 'fried' yesterday and I'm sharing one with a friend. We're trotting it back and forth while I'm waiting for a new one, and this will be an issue until I leave town on Thursday, so my ability to check in here will be sporadic. Bad, bad timing. (even worse timing for the squirrel)  Thanks Lori for all your hard work and info. And I'll add my  I tend to agree on your later points. Most of us have already bought our general seating tickets, and trying to mobilize everyone within 2 days is a stretch. Also, after reading some of Bri's posts, I was already considering asking everyone if they would like to pick a skater and donate the difference in ticket costs to 'the cause'. Seems like a better investment of funds, that certainly would be of more benefit to the skaters, than adding cheesecake and cheetos to my thighs (... and YES!, I was a good little doobie and didn't eat any of either anyway. It's hard to justify eating that stuff when you are looking at all these hard bodies with 3% body fat! LOL!!!)  ...I'm gonna miss all the early morning coffee, however. Can you say 'thermos'? In fact, my plan is to hit Trader Joe's and pack all those great munchies. If everyone else contributes, we'll have our own VIP spread! I really like the idea of the special OZ section. Not only will it be easier to meet everyone, but for those who have been timid about coming because they felt they would be there by themselves, they now will be part of the group and sitting with fellow fans and friends. In addition, and more importantly, everyone knows there is strength in numbers. If we can get all the fansites to come together under one banner, we can accomplish much more than we can individually. We can explore the VIP sponsorship as a group next year, and I think that is a great idea. Kudos and karma to Lori for what she has accomplished in getting everyone together to do this.  And she is only one person. Imagine what we could do as an organized group. If we really want more attention for ST in general and our fine Olympic hopefulls specifically, it will probably start as a grass roots organization seperate from USS. We can start by getting our 'fan' butts in the seats at competitions. 30 people this year - how about 60 next year? Seems attainable right?  Certainly we could - and should - drum up more fan support for the national competitions. To see the hard work, sacrifice and dedication these athletes put into their sport, it seems a small thing to ask that we be there in the stands to cheer them on. What do the rest of you think? Oh, and Lori, so sorry about your computer - AND the squirrel.  |
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Post by wildfire on Jan 26, 2008 16:29:15 GMT -5
Mtnme...couldn't have said it any better! Thanks for your "2 cents"...I 100% agree that we've only begun to scratch the surface on what we all can accomplish in getting this sport the recognition (and respect!) it so rightly deserves! These people dedicate so so much for their sport and training and the least we can do to support them is give up some time and money to sit our butts down and watch these amazing competitions! And LOL about the RIP emotie! Still laughing! (No offense to the squirrel)
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Post by skaterswaltz on Jan 26, 2008 16:56:56 GMT -5
I agree with all of you about finding ways to support the sport. Another way is to definitely have the live feed for those that can't attend the event. I know they are not planning on it, but would be nice to have one of the sponsors like Samsung or Coca-Cola step up and sponsor the link. They could have their logo up in the corner of the live-feed. A lot of people were watching Nationals remotely and is such a shame they can't this time. With the Olympics only two years away, it's a good time now to start recruiting new fans to the sport. And since there are teams competing from all over the world next month, you would literally have a world-wide audience. Just seems a shame they aren't doing it this time.
The cool thing about the VIP section is you can talk to the other parents -- including Yuki! But, space is limited so they have to cut it off somewhere, I guess. But it would be nice to all sit together in the general folks seats.
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Post by susie on Jan 26, 2008 18:42:19 GMT -5
"...one very unfortunate squirrel"? LOL, Lori!  I'm sorry about your monitor woes, though. My advice...get a widescreen. I'ts a pain to adjust to, but ultimately worth it. Lori (and Karen,) good work at uncovering these new opportunities. We'll have to tuck that sponsorship idea under our hats for next time. Meanwhile, I LOVE that idea of having our own dedicated section. I have to admit that one thing that worried me is that my friends would be scattered all over the rink! And I think it's great that we will all be gathered under the "OZ" banner -- very appropriate (especially considering that a number of long-time OZ'ers will be at this event.) Don't forget to post that on OZ! I also love the idea of sponsoring individual skaters. As some of you know, I was a member of another fandom for a number of years (for the TV show "La Femme Nikita" which ran on cable TV from the mid-90's through 2001.) We used to gather periodically at the filminig location, Toronto, Canada, for fan conventions. The culminating event would always be a silent/live auction of autographed items and mementos from the show which would raise huge amounts of money for the stars' favorite charities (I still treasure a black wool "spy hoodie" worn by lead actress Peta Wilson, and a T-shirt autographed to "Princess Susan" by a number of cast members, LOL, among numerous items.) It has occurred to me that a similar concept would work for helping to support our ST skaters. Having mulled it over, I think the best thing would be for skaters to publish "wish lists" for items that they need (i.e. new blades, athletic shoes, time with a masseuse or trainer, haircuts, food, etc.) Fans could group together to provide the needed items. It would help the skaters and also help fans to connect with individual skaters. USS cooperation would be needed, of course. What do you think? |
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Post by wildfire on Jan 26, 2008 19:11:24 GMT -5
I like the idea, Susie! Good job thinking of that concept.  And Mtnme...I forgot to add: I'll bring the peanut M&M's, you bring the Cheetos! LOL. |
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Post by apolosgal on Jan 27, 2008 11:58:15 GMT -5
You guys are all so lucky. I wanna go so badly, but unfortunately school interferes. I hope you guys have lots of fun and update us whenever you can. LOL
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Post by susie on Jan 27, 2008 12:31:07 GMT -5
Okay, here's another item to maybe think about tucking into your checked-in suitcase, if you are planning on renting a car -- an ice scraper! Our rental SUV at Nationals came without one, so a bunch of us were busy attacking it that snowy, icy Friday armed with nothing more effective than credit cards and mittens.  |
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Post by Lori on Jan 27, 2008 14:24:32 GMT -5
Hey, y'all - My computer guy gave me a loaner monitor this morning - got it hooked up and read some of your PM's / e-mails before church. I'm back in business now and thankful that we only lost a monitor and dishwasher - some of my neighbors lost TV's, refrigerators, spa/pool heaters, stereos and everything on their computers! Lessons learned: 1) All surge protectors are not created equal - buy the best one you can afford. 2) If you're home when the power goes out, throw the breakers or unplug your computer and valuable appliances until you're sure the power is back on (in this case it was the power coming back ON that caused the damage) 3) If squirrels could organize they could shut down this country. And they wouldn't be afraid to die for the cause...  |
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Post by lilyover76 on Jan 27, 2008 14:33:13 GMT -5
Okay, here's another item to maybe think about tucking into your checked-in suitcase, if you are planning on renting a car -- an ice scraper! Our rental SUV at Nationals came without one, so a bunch of us were busy attacking it that snowy, icy Friday armed with nothing more effective than credit cards and mittens. yes, an ice scraper is a must! Our hotel, Crystan Inn, gave them out (free) so Sam grabbed an extra one for Lori. I've been looking at the Bus system... www.rideuta.com. For those of you staying downtown ( and if you don't have a rental vehicle), there is a way to get to the Oval... by the trax train and then transferring to a bus: (Much cheaper than taxi.) Trax train from any downtown station to 5300 South/Murray station. Then transfer to bus # 54. It goes west on 5400 South and you can get off at Cougar Lane. The Oval is on Cougar Lane and 5600 South... a 2 block walk, tho a little further to get to the Oval entrance. Bus # 62 also starts at the same Trax station and travels west... you can get off at Cougar lane and 6200 South; walk north to the Oval... approx 4-5 blocks. But this bus quits running earlier than #54 I'm just posting this as an alternative method of transportation. It can also be used in conjunction with a taxi or shuttle, if time is a concern. Since we've used UTA in the past, I wouldn't be afraid to use this transportation... JMHO. However, accuweather.com 15-day forecast states: "snow or snow showers for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. |
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Post by jennaceeta25 on Jan 27, 2008 15:07:58 GMT -5
3) If squirrels could organize they could shut down this country. And they wouldn't be afraid to die for the cause... That sounds scary, frightning even! I live near squirrels too! But I'm so glad you got a loaner from your computer guy! Whoa what a relief! When do you get your REAL computer back? Was it a labtop? |
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Post by Lori on Jan 27, 2008 16:59:46 GMT -5
Mtnme, that was a very, very good post. I like your comments about the advantages of having a special section - I'll pass that along when I thank Debbie. Regarding sponsoring skaters - for those who are interested, maybe someone like Thomas McLean can help give a feel for who really needs the help. Bri from our Yahoo Group definitely comes to mind, and perhaps Anthony as well, both of whom have been very helpful to our group. Bri may actually be a British skater (I'm a little confused about that). However I currently sponsor a skater from another country whose story touched my heart. It's a nice surprise to find a short note from him in my inbox now and then. He's likely to be competing at the World Cup and I'm hoping to finally meet him. I told him he might find that he has an unexpected cheering section! It's definitely a gift that gives back. Hmmm, the wheels are turning... A) People support individual skaters B) People want to meet the skaters they support C) Those skaters race in competitions D) Butts in seats at competitions... Some simple logic: If A and B and C, then D? Skaterswaltz: Re live feed - don't forget that Kori from USS told me that 'we are currently working on a few things that may fit the bill. Keep your eyes open for press releases, etc.' Don't know whether she's talking about USS or ISU, but hopefully there will be enough people watching both sites and we'll hear if anything develops. As for the VIP section and the skaters' families - I haven't seen any indication that they will be in the VIP section, but who knows? Remember, though, that Katherine and Allison's families sat in the General Admission section, at Nationals and Yuki sat there too on the first day. I'm crossing my fingers that the section they've set aside for us would be in one of the more desirable areas. And since seating isn't usually reserved, we should still be able to move around within the Gen. Adm. section if we want to. People were concerned about all the tickets for 2500-3000 people being at Will Call, but I found out that they're planning to have quite a few people distributing the tickets - not just the one guy at the window like at Nationals. Apolosgal, I wish you could go, too! You went to AmCup1 this year didn't you - weren't you the one who found that great article (The Need for Speed) in Northwest Airlines' magazine on your way home? Jenna, it was just my monitor - my computer was working fine, I just couldn't SEE it! I ordered a new one, and I also ordered a laptop (which I've never had), but neither one will be in before I leave home on Thursday.  Susie, the recommendation for the ice scraper was wise. Lily, I have it packed - I hope my husband will be as handy with it as Sam was!
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Post by lilyover76 on Jan 27, 2008 17:41:35 GMT -5
Skaterswaltz: Re live feed - don't forget that Kori from USS told me that 'we are currently working on a few things that may fit the bill. Keep your eyes open for press releases, etc.' Don't know whether she's talking about USS or ISU, but hopefully there will be enough people watching both sites and we'll hear if anything develops. Lily, I have it packed - I hope my husband will be as handy with it as Sam was! at the US Speedskating website (main page), there is now a *check out our live webcast* box to click on... this wasn't there a couple of days ago (I don't think... unless I just plain missed it)! But, since WC 6 is an ISU event, this feature may not help this time... Yeah... I'm thinking you're gonna need that scraper...! |
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Post by apolosgal on Jan 27, 2008 18:24:20 GMT -5
Apolosgal, I wish you could go, too! You went to AmCup1 this year didn't you - weren't you the one who found that great article (The Need for Speed) in Northwest Airlines' magazine on your way home?
Yup I did go to American Cup 1. And I was the one who was unbeleavably lucky to find the wonderful article about Apolo on the flight home.   It was tons of fun but I still haven't got to see Apolo skate in person and I'm just itching at the chance to do so.  I want to see him skate so bad. But anyways have fun you guys!! I can't wait to hear about it. |
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Post by Lori on Jan 28, 2008 14:12:42 GMT -5
I just talked to Debbie from the Oval, and found out that I DON'T need everyone's specific names (that would have been needed only if we had been listed as a sponsor). I'd still like to know if you plan to sit with us so I can let them know about how many to expect - so if you haven't contacted me yet, do it when you have time, but before Thursday (when I leave). Here are the instructions for the special seating - when you pick up your tickets, find Debbie Brown at the entrance to the VIP area, tell her you're with the Ohnozone group, and they'll direct you to our section. You can move around to other areas if you want, but only those in our group will be seated in this particular place. EDIT: Lily, let's keep watching that link on USS - good find!  |
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~Lori
