Collection Update For May 7th and Site Update For May 10th, 2007

Alright...at long last, I finally have gotten a chance to mention that thing from eBay. As the title notes, it came this past Monday. No picture yet, but I hope to have one up at both here and my site sometime this weekend or early next week.

The new item...it's too cute...it is a little Ronnie in a white Carolina Hurricanes uniform!! Seriously, the toy's being a miniature one was a complete surprise to me. When I got the package at the UPS Store, I was surprised at how light it was, especially with my expecting the figure to be a normal sized one. And when I opened the box, I couldn't help but let out a little "Awwwww!!" upon first glance at the figure, made my Smiti Sports.

I find the tiny Ronnie figure so cute that I got my eyes peeled for another one on the Bay, so I can take it out of the package and have join my motley desk/office area posse of Full Demon Inuyasha, Captain Kirk, Spock, and Scotty in their transporter; Don Cherry and Blue, and an Egyptian hawk warrior (who's been MIA since my move from Wake Forest/Raleigh to Bluefield...but hopefully, I'll find him one day).

Also worth noting is a recent Internet find...an article at a random hockey news site talking about the still somewhat new CYAH venture with which the very, very busy Ron is involved. And it features some Ronnie quotes, to boot...

"Hurricanes Jump Into Youth Hockey

Peter Karmanos Jr, owner/governor and CEO of the Hurricanes, has 30 years of experience supporting youth hockey in his hometown of Detroit. His junior club, the Plymouth Whalers, was the first American club to play in the Ontario Hockey League. Eric Lindros, Mike Modano and Kevin Hatcher are all products of Karmanos’ Compuware hockey programs.

Now, Karmanos has decided to increase his youth hockey support in the Raleigh area, home to the Hurricanes.

In partnership with the Raleigh Youth Hockey Association (RYHA), Karmanos has formed Canes Youth and Amateur Hockey (CYAH), which will sponsor the top teams in the RYHA in some of the biggest tournaments in North America.

The affiliation with the Hurricanes, coupled with the presence of director of player development Ron Francis, a future Hockey Hall of Famer, is certain to boost hockey in North Carolina.

“That is, for me, a very exciting time,” Francis said, “because Peter Karmanos has done this many, many years in Detroit and in junior hockey. And to bring that expertise to the (Raleigh) area is only going to be great for the kids in the area.”

For Francis, the importance of youth hockey programs transcends the results on the ice. For him, the character-building experience is the greatest benefit the youngsters will receive.
“It’s great.” Francis said. “I was one of the fortunate ones to play youth hockey and make it to the NHL, but a lot of kids don’t have that opportunity. If you provide them with the right environment and give them the opportunity to experience the game, and give them valuable life lessons, it may not be the NHL, but whatever profession they so choose, they’ll have these lessons to take with them the rest of their life.”

The Hurricanes will outfit the Tier 1 teams with Carolina Hurricanes jerseys and strengthen youth programs such as the Street Stormers, in-school programs, college hockey, clinics and summer camps."

Current Music: "Some Like It Hot" by The Power Station