ECHL Bakersfield Condors

A Look Back At The Condors 2007-08 Community Contributions

Published on May 6, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Bakersfield Condors News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bakersfield Condors 10th Anniversary season was filled with charitable contributions as they raised an astounding $433,620 in cash, goods and services for deserving non-profit organizations and local students. Spanning their 10-year history, the Condors all-time total has topped $2.65 million!

"As a community leader, it's our responsibility to do everything we can for the community that supports us," said Condors President Matthew Riley. "To that end, the Condors act as a catalyst for our fans, allowing their passion to assist our mission to make our community a better place to live. Because at the end of the day, that's what it's all about."

On four occasions this season the Condors held a "Jersey Off Our Backs Auction." The three game- worn specialty jerseys and the season-worn burgundy jerseys brought in a combined total of $100,175 to assist the Ronald McDonald House, Children's Miracle Network, Valley Achievement Center and the Active 20/30 Club.

Just after Thanksgiving, a season-high 8,895 fans packed The Nest for the annual Teddy Bear Toss. After the Condors scored their first goal thousands of stuffed animals rained down from the stands onto the ice. It took more than 40 volunteers and almost 15 minutes to haul away the 7,026 fuzzy animals. The stuffed animals were divided between more than a dozen local non-profit organizations and disseminated amongst children in need.

In February of 2008, the Condors hosted the 4th Annual Condors Fighting Cancer Hockey-Thon. More than 130 hockey enthusiasts raised pledges to compete in a marathon of hockey games, lasting a total of 41 hours. The 41-hour event was highlighted with two Condors hockey games and an Alumni Game, featuring retired Condors and former Falcons decked out in pink jerseys. Overall, the Hockey-Thon raised $56,700 for Links for Life, a local breast cancer resource center.

During the season, the Condors made nearly 200 community appearances, many to schools to encourage students to work hard and achieve goals. The Condors also participated in a number of special events and projects including Habitat for Humanity and Adopt-A-Highway, the Special Olympics and Great Strides, Read Across America and the United Way Day of Caring, to name a few.

The Condors two season-long educational programs, T.H.I.N.K. and Classroom Champions rewarded nearly 7,000 students in over two dozen schools for achieving their academic or attendance goals with free admission to a Condors game. Likewise, 7,600 graduates of the D.A.R.E. and G.R.E.A.T. programs also received Condors tickets for a job well done.

The 9th Annual Tip-A-Condor was highlighted with Condors players waiting tables and singing karaoke on stage for charitable tips. The dinner and auction raised $16,044 for the Kern County Shrine Club. In addition to the Condors serving dinner and serenading fans with off-tune songs, the evening featured a live and silent auction as well as a raffle for the customized aprons worn by the players.

The Condors hosted a number of additional events, including a charity golf tournament, blood drive and Guns and Hoses hockey game. They also held drives bringing in 5,131 pounds of canned food, 2,200 winter coats, 650 children's books and 220 Christmas toys all contributing to the $433,000 raised this season.

Chronological listing of Major Condors Programs and Events

Oct. 7: Open House and Canned Food Collection sponsored by KGET-TV 17 - 3,400 lbs of canned food collected

Oct. 13: My First Library Book Collection - 600 books collected

Oct. 15: Condors Charity Golf Tournament sponsored by Faast Pharmacy - $6,000 raised for Kern Bridges Youth Home

Oct. 24: Project Warm Families Coat Collection sponsored by KGET-TV 17, KBKO 96-5 and Barber Honda - 2,200 coats collected

Nov. 14: HOT 94.1 and Department of Public Health Businesspersons Special / Field Trip Day - nearly 6,000 students received educational booklets at the game

Nov. 18: Bright House Networks, KUZZ 107.9 and McDonald's 10th Anniversary Jersey Off Our Backs Auction - $21,475 raised for Ronald McDonald House Charities

Nov. 24: KGET-TV 17, KERN 1410 AM and Wells Fargo Bank Teddy Bear Toss - 7,026 Teddy Bears collected

Nov. 24, Mar. 29: Local-area businesses donated 2,927 tickets to provide admission for underprivileged children to attend a Condors game through the Big Buddies program

Dec. 1, Mar. 31: D.A.R.E. and G.R.E.A.T. Nights sponsored by the Holiday Inn Select - 7,600 tickets distributed to program graduates

Dec. 12: ABC23 and R&D Leather Furniture Christmas Toy Drive - 220 toys collected

Dec. 15, Feb. 9, Mar 10: ABC23 and SC Architect Inc. present Classroom Champions - 2,850 tickets given to students meeting behavioral or attendance goals

Jan. 8, Jan. 29, Feb. 24, Mar. 29: T.H.I.N.K. program sponsored by Diamond Technologies and CHW Mercy and Memorial Hospitals - 3,922 tickets to students who met academic goals.

Feb. 5: My 45 and 96.9 La Caliente Help For The Homeless Canned Food Collection - over 1,700 lbs of canned food collected

Feb. 9: 96.5 KBKO and American Business Machines present Hollywood Style Jersey Off Our Backs Auction - $30,700 raised for Children's Miracle Network

Feb. 24: Bright House Networks, KUZZ 107.9 and Hudson Custom Construction Condors Fighting Cancer Hockey-Thon - $56,700 raised for Links for Life

Mar. 18: KUZZ 107.9 presents Tip-A-Condor Charity Dinner - $16,044 raised for the Kern County Shrine Club

Mar. 29: Diamond Technology and CHW Mercy and Memorial Hospitals T.H.I.N.K. program - 1,562 tickets given to students for achieving academic goals

Mar. 29: Country Music Jersey Off Our Backs Auction, sponsored by Bright House Networks, KUZZ 107.9 and Bud Light raised $31,600 for Valley Achievement Center

Mar. 31: KUZZ 107.9 Blood Drive Night - 1,080 blood donations (double the Houchin Blood Bank average)

April 9: Season-Worn Jersey Off Our Backs Silent Auction - $16,400 raised for the Active 20/30 Club.

Raymond's Rascals: A total of 780 tickets for underprivileged youth, sponsored by KGET-TV 17 and the United Way of Kern County

All season: A total of $14,559 in Jersey raffle proceeds to the charitable organization of the night

Check out the Bakersfield Condors Statistics

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ECHL Stories from May 6, 2008


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