In the News

IAABO Members Enso Delonghi, Treasurer and Vice-President Mike Mack, Board 210 Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, presented a check in the amount of $1259.00 to the Grand River Regional Cancer Center on behalf of Board 210 members. The presentation was made at the Annual General Meeting. The funds were raised through the Pink Whistle campaign. All officials were encouraged to donate $1.00 per game officiated in the month of February.

IAABO Board 114 member Hank Boldrin, Sr. - WAPPINGERS FALLS – There are two sides to every story, but when the story is about cancer, the saga becomes three sided; a medical war between doctors and the disease, the personal fight of the afflicted, and the effect it has on the surrounding loved ones.

When long time referee and umpire Hank Boldrin, Sr was first diagnosed in July of 2014, three wars began; Hank’s personal fight with stage four Lymphoma, his family’s battle to keep Hank’s spirits up, and the doctor’s efforts to help Hank beat the system.

“You know, many people who first hear that they have cancer turn inward, thinking they have to engage in this internal battle with the disease”, said son Hank Boldrin, Jr. “It was our job to help bring our father outward, to show him that he wasn’t going to go through this alone” Hank Jr, along with his brother and sister, became part of his army.

 

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IAABO Board 54 conducted its first annual Officials vs. Cancer Benefit Games at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School in Bridgewater, MA. In the first game, the girls of Bridgewater-Raynham defeated Plymouth South High School. In the second game, the boys of Brockton High School defeated Bridgewater-Raynham. Board 54 members volunteered their time and effort to work the scorer's table, supervise the crowd, and officiate the games. The games raised $1,750.00 for the 2015 Officials vs. Cancer Campaign.

Volunteers who helped facilitate the games, from left to right, Joe Siriani, Rita Stokinger, John Karo, Dom DiNatale, Scott Alexander, Jack Mitchell, Harry Straughn, Jim Wheeler, Ed Miller, Dan Buron, Rich Lambert, and Ron Scarbrough.

Not photographed are the officials who worked the games on a volunteer basis. The girls game was officiated by Pete Bailey, Kate Devine, and Dan McGarry. The boys game was officiated by John Cascarano, Peter Hansen, and Mike Ryan.

Click here to watch a New England Sports Network features on IAABO Board 44's Lou Levine and efforts with Officials versus Cancer

 

Where can an official help fight Cancer? On the basketball court. IAABO is joining forces with the Officials’ vs. Cancer, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society during the “Coaches vs. Cancer” crusade. Officials can do their part to blow the whistle on this disease which affects too many people. To help, all one needs to do is donate up to 25% of a game fee to this worthy cause. During the week of January 23 - January 29, 2013, participating officials will display their commitment to the campaign by using a pink whistle that will be provided to him/her, once a contribution to the crusade has been made. Please make the court a bit more colorful that week. Help IAABO show the athletic community our determination for this cause. Donations may be made anytime, but must be received no later than March 15th, 2017 to be part of the current campaign. Click here to make a donation now.

 

Lou Levine leads charge for Officials vs. Cancer
Bexar County Sheriffs The Bexar County Sheriff’s department located in San Antonio, Texas, support the Officials’ vs. Cancer 2015 by wearing their pink whistles.
2010 Check Presentation in the amount of $110,176 on behalf of IAABO Basketball Officials from Across the United States and Canada. Shown Left to Right; Jim Boeheim, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Syracuse University; Tom Lopes, Executive Director, IAABO, Inc.; Donnie Eppley, Campaign Coordinator, IAABO, Inc., and Gary Williams, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, University of Maryland.
IAABO D9 Rep/Board President Don Thorne and Kitchener-Waterloo members present Irene Harder of the KW Chapter of P.O.G.O. (The Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario) with a check in the amount of $1,765.00. POGO acts as the representative voice of the childhood cancer community, ensuring that all children in Ontario receive equal access to state-of-the-art care. POGO has been working on behalf of children with cancer (and their families) for over 25 years.

 

Tip-A-Ref Event happens in Colorado Springs - The Colorado Springs Basketball Official’s Association (CSBOA) got a head start on the 2014 Officials vs Cancer campaign by hosting a Tip-A Ref event at the Texas T-Bone restaurant on July 28, 2013. Twenty five members of the CSBOA volunteered to sell tickets, wait on tables, cook, wash dishes, bus tables and greet over 200 patrons to the Texas T-Bone restaurant. It was a great day of fellowship, teamwork and fun for this organization. The generosity of the participating patrons was overwhelming and the outstanding efforts of the CSBOA members raised over $3000.00. Special thanks goes to Dave Crimmins, owner of the Texas T-Bone who sponsored this event and to Bill Huffor, Member-at-large for the CSBOA who led this effort. The members of the CSBOA are determined to lead the way in Colorado Board 4 in the 2014 Officials vs. Cancer campaign.
Officials versus Cancer Poster A drawing of some of the finest officials currently officiating in the collegiate ranks and some who have retired along with coaches who are very active in Coaches vs. Cancer is now available. For every $100.00 tax deductible donation to the Officials vs. Cancer / American Cancer Society, the donor will receive a 13 x 19 print unless specified that they would like a 11 x 14 or 8 x 10. If you would like to make a donation, please mail your tax deductible donation to: Officials vs. Cancer, c/o IAABO, Inc., P.O. Box 355, Carlisle, PA 17013-0355. Shown in the drawing are: Front Row (L-R) Ron Foxcroft, Bob Donato, Tim Higgins, Mike Kitts, John Clougherty; Second Row (L-R) John Cahill, Tom Lopes, Jim Burr, Ed Corbett and Reggie Greenwood; Top Row (L-R) Lon Kruger, Oliver Purnell, Ron Martel, Gary Williams and Mike Krzyzewski.

Ottawa Valley Board of Basketball Officials (OVBABO) teamed with the Canadian Cancer Society during the 2nd Annual Pink Whistle Campaign. Many OVBABO officials and local sponsors donated generously to the cause throughout the month of October. Furthermore, officials displayed their commitment to the campaign by using pink whistles. As a result of this initiative, OVBABO donated $5,368.00 to the Canadian Cancer Society during the 2011-2012 campaign and surpassed its fundraising goal of $2,650.00. To date, they have raise a total of $8040.00. Let’s keep the momentum going.

Officials Fight Back - IAABO Board 114's inaugural Officials vs Cancer Tournament at SUNY at New Paltz was a rousing success.Congratulations to Prez O'Connor for being the driving engine for the train, as well as his committees and volunteers for an outstanding job well done. Click here to read more.

 

Board 111 - Click here to view a letter from Brewer Basketball congratulating Board 111 for their efforts in the Officials versus Cancer campaign.

 

Free Whistle - Donations in the amount of $25.00 or more will receive a free pink Fox 40 whistle.