2011 PIPER 5K March 3, 2011

2011 Piper 5K                       Saturday– 3/5/11

Donations Still Needed For Race   The following items remain on our checklist of donations needed for the race:  ICE Coolers   VOLUNTEERS  NEEDED FOR THE RACE   If you are unable to participate in the race but would still like to attend and help out, we are always in need of volunteers for the registration tables and water tables. Please contact Ed Ryan if you have the time to volunteer. Gateway Charter school students and parents, you can get volunteer hours toward the money you will owe at the end of the year if you volunteer at our race. Please contact the appropriate person at your school and meet me at the church at 7AM.      THE 2011 MUDDY BUDDY LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AWAY.  Our next adventure race is April 16th at the Wide World of Sports in Orlando. The 2011 Muddy Buddy is an awesome experience and tons of fun.

The 2011 Piper 5K Race in Gateway.  Have You Registered?   Follow the 2011 Piper 5K Race FACEBOOK The 3.1 run and walk will be held on Saturday, March 5th at the Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church. This year’s race will be timed by Lin Mark Sports of Cape Coral using the B-Tag chip system. Results will be available immediately after the race and posted online later on race day. We will have bounce houses for the kids, a live band starting at 9AM and each runner will receive a ticket for food and a tote bag.     To register for the race, visit www.piperbuckley.com download a registration form and drop it off at Zervos hair Salon on Gateway Boulevard today or tomorrow. We WILL have race day registration starting at 7AM.      100 % of the money raised (after expenses) from the race are given back to kids in OUR community. The Piper Buckley foundation helps infants and young children in desperate need and many of you know all about the great work the N.I.C.U. at Healthpark does for premature babies. If you would like to donate to the Piper Buckley Foundation you can also make a donation – of any dollar amount – via our secure paypal account. And, as we found out with Yomar (the little boy who needed shoes and a high chair) every $10.00 counts. We raised nearly $1,500 in cash and 2 truckloads of clothing and other items for Yomar. Your donation is tax deductible. The Piper Buckley foundation is a registered 5013C. The paypal account is set up for $10.00 donations. If you’d like to donate more, simply enter the number of $10.00 donations you’d like to give. Ed Ryan edryan@fortmyersfitness.com

FLORIDA EVERBLADES STAR TOM BUCKLEY TO COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO PLAY IN DAUGHTER’S MEMORIAL GAME September 28, 2010

 

NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO BENEFIT

The Lee Memorial Health System announces that Florida Everblades star and jersey-retiree Tom Buckley will take the ice on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. to honor his daughter, Piper Lynne Buckley, who passed away on Christmas Day 2009 at only three years of age. 

The “Pack it For Piper” game will take place at Germain Arena and will feature Tom Buckley and other Florida Everblades alumni as “Piper’s All-Stars” taking on the current Florida Everblades roster.  Former Florida Everblades players scheduled to play with Buckley are: Michael Grenzy, Jason Prokopetz, Colin Nicholson, Brandon Coatler, Ryan Brindley, Brent McDonald, Marc Magliarditi, Keith Anderson, Jim Brown, Bill Kinkel, Mark Pagnutti, Terry Lindgren and fan favorite and fellow jersey-retiree Reggie Berg will fly in to take the ice to honor Piper in support of The Children’s Hospital. 

Silent and live auctions including game-worn jerseys will also give guests an extra opportunity to help save the lives of our community’s tiniest babies. 

Said event organizer Ernie Hartlieb of The Florida Everblades, “We have all been deeply affected by what Tom and Heather have been through during this incredibly sad time.  We have been inspired by their desire to help save the lives of other tiny babies at The Children’s Hospital and wanted to show our support.  Tom was a very impactful Florida Everblades player for many years and his jersey hangs in our rafters because of his many contributions.  We now want to rally around him to show our support and respect for this devastating loss.”

Added Kathy Bridge-Liles, V.P. Women’s & Children’s Services, The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, “We are incredibly grateful to the Buckley and Holland families for their amazing support in a time of grief.  Their gift of two GE Giraffe beds to our NICU this past summer has already saved lives and we are deeply moved that they continue to raise money in Piper’s honor to help save our tiniest of patients.” 

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling the Germain Arena Box Office at 239-948-PUCK (7825). 

All proceeds will benefit the life-saving care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.  Piper was born on Oct. 21, 2006 weighing only 3.9lbs.  She was saved by the NICU.

THE “PIPER ALL STARS” TO TAKE ON EVERBLADES September 27, 2010

On Tuesday October 5th, a very special event is taking place at Germain Arena. Florida Everblade alumni, including Tom Buckley, will reunite for a hockey game to benefit the Piper Buckley Foundation. The “Piper All-Stars” will take on the current Everblade team. Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased by calling 948-PUCK.

PIPER 5K SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT April 20, 2010

Fort Myers Fitness at Gateway     April 21st, 2010                                    Piper  5K  Softball Tournament

Dear Piper 5K Army & Gateway Community Folks, we are working on organizing a Piper 5K Softball Tournament on June 12th. The goal is to bank the money to help with expenses for the 2011 5K race, which we expect to be bigger than 2010. You always have to be thinking ahead. We are shooting for 1,000 runners in the 2011 race.   The tournament will be co-ed, double elimination, with $500 cash for first place. The website will be updated shortly to reflect the information related to the softball tournament, including location, registration information etc. We will also be using the Piper Facebook page  again as well.   What we need help with right now is anyone who can point us in the right direction to find or build temporary fence backstops (with wheels). And, where we can rent (or have donated) that short red fencing to use in the outfield. If you ran the race you probably noticed there are no baseball fields at the Gateway Park so we have to improvise and make it work if we are going to keep it in the community, not to mention utilize the concession stand.     This will also be another excellent way for many of the kids in our community to be involved in a great, uplifting event, and receive volunteer hours.    We’ll need the backstops to keep everyone safe. You can e-mail me directly at edryan@fortmyersfitness.com or call 239-247-3833.   Thank you all   Ed

March 19, 2010

The 2010 Piper 5K Race     March 18th, 2010

Dear Piper 5K Army If you registered late for the 2010 Piper 5K, or on race day, and did not get a t-shirt, they are now available. To pick up your shirt stop by Mallie Montgomery Boutique on Daniels Boulevard.  Call 768-9981 if you need directions.   Thank you all again for participating in the race. We wound up with 850 runners and we raised $47,000.   Heather wrote the check and two Giraffe beds specially equipped for babies born premature will be added to N.I.C.U. Read her post about the check on the Piper Facebook Page. Those two beds will include a special plaque with Piper Buckley’s name on it. We owe that all to you guys.   Thank you and we’ll see you in 2011.   Ed Ryan

PIPER 5K UPDATE February 16, 2010

Fort Myers Fitness at Gateway     February 13th, 2010                                    Piper  5K  Day

Dear Piper 5K Army What a day. Another 150 registrations were added this morning giving us about 850. Not too shabby for an event put together in about 6 weeks. Not to mention the fact that you all raised about $40,000 for the Piper Buckley Foundation. It’s an awesome sight to see a snake of 850 people at the start of a race that so many people played a part in.   We’ve posted some early pictures at www.piperbuckley.com and on the Piper Buckley Foundation Facebook page. There are plenty more pictures and videos to follow, helping keep a great memory alive. Feel free to post your own pictures to the Facebook page or e-mail them to me and I will post them.   Thank you all   Ed

February 5, 2010

PIPER BUCKLEY 5K SET FOR FEBRUARY 13th

NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO BENEFIT

Lee Memorial Health System Foundation announces that the Inaugural Piper 5K in honor of three-year old Piper Buckley will take place at the Gateway Community on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 9 a.m with proceeds to benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. 

The race will honor the life and spirit of Piper Lynne Buckley who was born on Oct. 21, 2006 weighing only 3.9 lbs and spent 21 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Children’s Hospital.  Piper passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on Christmas Day of 2009 at only three years of age.  Piper was the daughter of realtor and former Florida Everblades star Tom Buckley and Mallie Montgomery retail store owner Heather Holland, both of Fort Myers.  Piper served as The Boston Red Sox Children’s Hospital Celebrity Classic’s MVP (Most Valuable Patient) in 2008 which also supported the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.   

Runners will start at 9 a.m. with walkers and a stroller push beginning at 9:30 a.m. The race will start and finish at the Soccer Complex on Griffin Drive in the community of Gateway in Fort Myers. 

Entry fee is $29 in advance or $39 day of race.  Fee includes commemorative t-shirt and lunch.  Entry forms are available at www.piperbuckley.com. All entry forms must be signed and all checks made payable to the Piper Buckley Foundation. Entry form and check must be mailed to Ed Ryan C/O Fort Myers Fitness, 13130 Westlinks Terrace, Fort Myers FL, 33913. (Early) Registration bags and numbers can be picked up at Fort Myers Fitness on Friday, Feb.12. If unable to attend you can also support the event by purchasing a t-shirt for $15.00 at Fort Myers Fitness with all proceeds to benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Remarked Kathy Bridge-Liles, V.P. Women’s & Children’s Services at The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, “Piper had an amazing spirit and was an inspiration to us all.  We are honored that her family has chosen to help save the lives of other babies we are caring for each day in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.”  Added Sharon A. MacDonald, Chief Foundation Officer, Lee Memorial Health System, “Our Children’s Hospital depends on philanthropic support to maintain continued excellence in care. We are deeply touched by the community support of all of those who have chosen to honor Piper’s spirit by contributing to this effort.  We thank Piper’s parents Tom and Heather and their families for their continuing commitment to our mission to help save the lives of our tiniest patients.”

For more information, please visit www.piperbuckley.com or call the Lee Memorial Health System Foundation office at 239-985-3550.