af2 Green Bay Blizzard

Blizzard, Donald Driver, Morning Glory Dairy Team Up For Hurricane Relief

April 12, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release


The Green Bay Blizzard has announced that they have teamed up with Morning Glory Dairy to help raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The event is called "Coins For Katrina," and all proceeds will be donated to the Donald Driver Foundation for Hurricane Katrina Relief, which is helping to rebuild Gulf Coast areas that were devastated by the storm last August.

At the Friday, April 21st game against the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, Morning Glory will distribute 2,000 empty "Grip It. Sip It." milk bottles to fans as they enter the arena. Fans will be encouraged to fill the bottle with change and use it as a noisemaker during the game. When the game is over and fans are leaving the arena, fans can drop their bottle and change into bins to donate to the Relief Fund.

Donations will go to the Donald Driver Foundation for Hurricane Relief. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver is a native of Houston, Texas, which was also affected by hurricanes last year. "The Foundation is set up to help families and schools, specifically in the areas of recreation and education," said Driver. "There was a lot of damage down there, and we think it's important that kids and families have places to go to have fun and to learn: YMCAs, churches, rec-centers, places like that."

Driver also noted the importance of keeping the education system running during the rebuilding. "What we've done through The Foundation is provide schools and other places with computer labs so that education can keep going," he said. "It's important that kids down there find a sense of normalcy, get back to their routine. Going to school is a big part of that."

It has been nearly a year since the storm first hit, and while the world stood up and took notice at the time, widespread attention has waned. The families and residents of the affected areas are still putting their lives and communities back together, and the need for assistance is still great.

Morning Glory Dairy General Sales Manager Brian Dewing sees this event as a means of both helping those in need and raising awareness that the need is still very present. "It seems like a lot of people have forgotten about the hurricane," he said. "This program is a great way to raise money and to remind people that there is still a lot to be done down there."

Blizzard General Manager Jim Kraft added, "There's so much going on in the world and so much going on in the news that Hurricane Katrina seems like something that happened a long time ago. Well, the storm was last year, but people are still trying to rebuild their homes and businesses and schools. The relief effort is just as important now as it was when it first happened, even if it doesn't get blanket media coverage anymore."

Dewing was equally excited about the opportunity to team up with the Blizzard. "This is such a great idea," he said. "What Brian Noble and Jim Kraft are doing with the Blizzard is really exciting. We would like to compliment them on their efforts with the team and the organization."

The Blizzard and Morning Glory Dairy wanted to make the night as much fun as possible, so the entire evening will be packed with special events. Prior to the game, the Blizzard is hosting their first-ever tailgate party in Bart Starr Plaza, presented by "America's Pack," who organizes tailgate parties for Green Bay Packers games.

The Blizzard is also bringing in the world-famous Southern University Marching Band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to perform. The band will play at the tailgate party, then perform the National Anthem and accompany "God Bless America" prior to kickoff. The band will also take the field at halftime and in "The 5th Quarter" after the game. It marks the first time the band will appear in the state of Wisconsin.

Donald Driver will be on hand personally, to serve as the game's Honorary Captain. He will participate in the pre-game activities and flip the coin to begin the game.

To top everything off, even the milk bottles will be fun. "We wanted to make this event as memorable and fun as we could, so we're providing the bottles we use for chocolate milk for ‘Coins For Katrina,'" said Dewing. "We want this event to be a success, and chocolate milk appeals to just about everyone."

The Blizzard hits the road this weekend for an April 15th meeting with the Quad City Steamwheelers, and then returns home to take on the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz on April 21st. Tickets are available, but they are going fast. To get your Green Bay Blizzard tickets and merchandise, contact the Blizzard office at (920) 405-1264.



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