Merry Christmas!

It's December 25th. Sleep in. Get up. Open presents. Watch tee vee. Amid all the holiday happiness, remember that this was the day marking the birth of the Christ child. The one sent for us from God.

Yesterday, I was embroiled in an online discussion, in which I was pummeled for my views of child rearing. But, you know what? I don't particularly care any more. I have my beliefs, my wife has hers and we will, with God's help, raise our baby to the best of our abilities. We will not surrender to the relaxed morals of today's society, where parents expect that their children will be engaging in high risk behavior, just because "They're gonna do it anyway, so give 'em protection." If that makes us "prudes," then so be it. We will prepare our child for those pressures, for sure. And we will then trust that he or she will make the best decision for themselves at that time.

May you and yours have the most blessed of holiday seasons. God's blessings on you, from The Meissner's. John, Kim, Baby, Snoopy and Smoke.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:20-23

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Luke 1:32-33

NHL Network to televise World Junior Tournament games

The NHL Network in the U.S. will televise live the two quarterfinal games, two semifinal contests and the bronze and gold-medal games. In addition, a live audiocast of all Team USA games will be available at usahockey.com with Jack Swanson and Jeff Sauer calling the action. Finally, live stats are available for all games in the event at worldjuniors2008.com.

Here’s wishing you a great holiday season – one filled with family, friends and the great sport of hockey!

2008 IIHF World Junior Championship Schedule
Dec. 26-Jan. 5 • Liberec & Pardubice, Czech Republic

DATE OPPONENT VENUE TIME (local/EST)
Dec. 26 Kazakhstan* Tipsport Arena 4:00 p.m./10:00 a.m.
Dec. 28 Switzerland* Tipsport Arena 6:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.
Dec. 29 Russia* Tipsport Arena 8:00 p.m./2:00 p.m.
Dec. 31 Finland* Tipsport Arena 6:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.
Jan. 2 Quarterfinals+^ CEZ Arena TBD
Jan. 4 Semifinals+^ CEZ Arena TBD
Jan. 5 Gold/Bronze+^ CEZ Arena TBD
Medal Games
* - Live audiocast at usahockey.com
+ - Live audiocast at usahockey.com if Team USA is involved
^ - Live television of both games in U.S. on NHL Network

Baby update

We saw the OB/GYN doctor Thursday. It was pretty neat that his assistant was Kim's regular doctor. That was pretty cool.

The exam went very well and everything looks great so far. I was hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat, but I wasn't disapointed that I didn't, because we actually got to SEE the heart working like a well-oiled machine. That brought tears of joy to our eyes! Baby looks really good. Still don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but we did see the little one moving it's arms. If it's a boy, his name will be James(So he'll have the same initials as me...JHM) Harper(My former boss's last name) Meissner. If it's a girl, her name will be Mary(Kim's Mom) Barbara(My Mom) Meissner.

We got lots of stuff to read and a diaper changing pad. We are SOOOOOOOO excited!

OHHHHHHHH (Soon-To-Be) BABY!!!!

Presenting....BABY MEISSNER!

Doesn't he/she look just like his/her Daddy? We went for our first ultrasound today (and both of us cried). The head is on the right (and grinning) and the butt is on the left. Our due date is May 26th. We won't know if it's a boy or a girl for a while. My guess is that with parents like us the kid will be stubborn enough to not let us know until he/she comes out! Fortunately our baby registry is all gender neutral.

We are soooooo excited! Now that we have the picture it's all become real. Keep those prayers coming. We're in for an exciting 6 months.

Hugs,
John, Kim, Baby, Snoopy & Smoke

Where's Paul Anka when you need him?

I could really use Paul Anka's help in singing 'Havin' My Baby.' My wife Kim(a/k/a Pookie Bear) and I, who until recently were certain we would never have children, are now expecting our first. The as yet unamed little guy(or girl), is due in late May or early June. Because of our ages and past medical history, the possibility of a difficult pregnancy is present. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as we go through this amazing chapter of our lives together.

This is most certainly the ultimate "OHHHHHHHH BABY!" isn't it?!?!

Gale-force trade winds blow through Portland

The Portland Winter Hawks, in their 32nd season in the Western Hockey League, move seven players in one day, the most in team history, in an attempt to turn things around after a 3-15-0 start.

Read more at:

http://www.salem-news.com/sports/november92007/winter_hawks_110907.php

Baseball's winter meetings

The baseball winter meetings are taking place in Orlando, Florida. (Why anyone would willingly go to Orlando is beyond me. I lived there for about a year and a half and can recall no redeeming values that would make me want to go back, other than our adopted mother, or the chance to drive to the Space Coast.) So far, the most newsworthy thing to happen, is Major League baseball's decision to require base coaches to wear some kind of head protection(yet to be determined), prompted by the death of Tulsa Drillers first base coach Mike Coolbaugh, who was struck by a line drive in a game last season. Interesting concept for sure. In fact, players at the high school and American Legion level, have been required to wear batting helmets with ear flaps for years while coaching bases. It won't be a difficult adjustment. My question is this: Coolbaugh's death was caused by a burst artery in his neck, something no helmet would have prevented. While the idea of extra protection is a good one, it still strikes me as MLB treating a symptom and not the direct cause(Of an injury/fatality). Despite what MLB wants you to believe, they still do not have any kind of a grip on performance enhancing drugs, unsportsmanlike conduct by players/managers/coaches, so while making what appears to be a "good" decision, MLB is simply going for a "feel good," headline-grabbing "Look what we did" decision.

Sheesh. What next? Hockey-style helmets for fielders and base umpires? Fix the GAME first, starting with why it takes so darn long to play a game, plus doing something, ie: scheduling actual in-season doubleheaders, so we don't ever have to worry about a World Series game being played in November, before telling us how forward-thinking they are, by making base coaches wear helmets. Then maybe people will believe MLB is truly trying to improve itself.

The Veteran

From http://www.rodpedersen.blogspot.com (Thanks Rod!)

The Veteran

It is the VETERAN , not the preacher,
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN , not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer,
Who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN , not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN ,
Who salutes the Flag,

It is the veteran ,
Who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

Standup Person of the Week

This week's award goes to the absolute most important person in my life, my wife Kim. She works so hard to keep our house in order, to take care of the boys and yes, to keep me in line when I deserve a little "reality check." Her support allows me to follow my dreams of being a hockey broadcaster.

It is my extreme pleasure to award this week's Standup Person of the Week award to my wife Kim, the absolute best thing ever to happen to me. Thanks Kim. You're simply the best!

Beavers beat Bears 31-28

Oregon State's defense bent but didn't break at the end, as the Beavers held on to beat the 2nd ranked California Golden Bears 31-28 in Berkeley Saturday night.

The Beavers grabbed the lead early, as Andy Stewart rushed up the middle for a 1 yard touchdown run, grabbing a 7-0 lead after Alexis Serna's PAT. That lead lasted into the second quarter, when Cal's Freshman Quarterback Kevin Riley(from Beaverton, Oregon), making his first career start, hit Lavelle Hawkins with a 12 yard touchdown pass. Jordan Kay's PAT tied the game 7-7. Serna got the lead back for Oregon State with a 21 yard field goal to make it 10-7, then kicked a 52 yarder to bring the Beavers to within a point at halftime 14-13, after the Bears took the lead for the first time on Riley's 3 yard run and Kay PAT.

Yvenson Bernard's 1 yard run and Serna's PAT gave Oregon State a 20-14 lead through three quarters. In the fourth, the lead changed hands twice. Cal went on top 21-20, thanks to Justin Forsett's 7 yard scoring run and Kay's PAT. Bernard's second 1 yard scoring run, this one on a plunge over the top with 8:30 left, put the Beavers up 26-21. Oregon State made it a 7 point lead as Sean Canfield passed to Anthony Brown for the two-point conversion, putting the visitors from Corvallis up 28 - 21. Serna's third field goal of the night, this one from 33 yards out, gave the Beavers a 31 - 21 lead late in the 4th quarter. The Golden Bears, who had a chance to grab the #1 spot in the polls for the first time in 56 years as #1 LSU lost at #17 Kentucky 43-37 in 3 overtimes, responded with a pass from Riley to Hawkins down the middle for 65 yards and a touchdown. Kay's PAT brought California within 3 at 31-28. The Bears got one more crack at the endzone, after a Serna punt gave California the ball at their own 5 with less than 2 minutes to play. Riley led his team into position to either tie or take the lead at the end, but then tried to scramble to the endzone from the OSU 12. He was tackled inbounds, with no time outs left and not enough time to get the field goal unit on the field and the Beavers held on for the 31-28 win. California Coach Jeff Tedford said "It's not his fault whatsoever. He played his heart out down the stretch to get us in that situation. We didn't lose the game because of that play." The Beavers' Joey LaRoque, who made the tackle on the final play said "That was a great finish to a great game. Cal has a great team and it was awesome. That game is all about college football right there. I'm glad to be a part of this. It was amazing."

Yvenson Bernard led Oregon State with 110 yards and 2 touchdowns on 32 carries. Lavelle Hawkins caught 9 passes for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Bears.

California is the tenth Top-10 ranked team to lose to an unranked team this season. For the Beavers, it's the first time they've beaten a team ranked this high, since beating the O.J. Simpson-led USC Trojans 3-0 on November 11th, 1967. The third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes look to move into the top spot after their 48-3 victory over Kent State. After their bye week, Oregon State hosts Stanford on Saturday, October 27th. The Bears play at UCLA next Saturday.

In other Top-10 action, #4 Boston College beat Notre Dame 27-14.,#5 South Florida rolled past Central Florida 64-12, #6 Oklahoma beat #11 Missouri 41-31, it was #7 South Carolina beating North Carolina 21-15, #9 Oregon pounded Washington State 53-7 and #10 USC beat Arizona 20-13.

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame honors 2007 inductees

From http://www.usahockey.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christy Jeffries (christyj@usahockey.org)

Friday, October 12, 2007

Class of 2007 Formally Inducted into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
Ceremony Held Friday Evening at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The Class of 2007 - Aaron Broten, Bobby Carpenter, John MacInnes and John Vanbiesbrouck - was formally enshrined in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame here tonight at an induction ceremony and dinner, held at the University of North Dakota's Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. A full house of 500+ people were on hand for the night of celebration.

"This was a tremendous night to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of four individuals who have each played a significant role in the advancement of hockey in our country," said Walter Bush, chairman of the board for USA Hockey. "I'd particularly like to thank the wonderful community of Grand Forks for the fantastic job they did in hosting this very special event."

“It is a tremendous honor to be included in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame,” said Broten. “The other inductees are extremely deserving and I am honored to go in with them. I’m very proud that both my brother [Neal] and I are in the Hall – it’s a culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of hockey through the years.”

“This whole experience has been much more than I expected,” said Carpenter. “I think USA Hockey did a great job and it was an unbelievable evening. Nights like this, everything comes back and you remember a lot of the things you’ve accomplished. It’s almost like the finishing touch on my career.”

“We are especially grateful for this recognition of John’s achievements,” said Jerry MacInnes, wife of the late John MacInnes. “John would have been extremely proud to be among this class and this honor belongs to all the people who played a part in his life.”

“Overall it’s a great day to be American,” said Vanbiesbrouck. “It was an honor not only for myself, my family and my parents, but also the coaches, trainers and everybody that has helped me to play this game for such a long time.”

NOTES: The addition of the Class of 2007 brings the total number of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame enshrinees to 134 ... The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame weekend will conclude with the University of North Dakota taking on Michigan State University in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena at 7 p.m. CDT. Both teams were in attendance at the induction event ... The Hobey Baker Memorial Award was on display at the induction ceremony. Ryan Duncan, the most recent recipient of the honor, and Neal Broten, the first-ever winner, were both be in attendance ... Jim Rich, sports director at FOX 9 in Minneapolis/St. Paul and long-time promoter of hockey in America, served as the master of ceremonies for the induction dinner ... Lou Vairo, head coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and one of the most prominent hockey figures in the United States, was the featured speaker at the induction ceremony ... USA Hockey assumed responsibility for the selection process and induction event associated with the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame this past spring.

Cover Your Butt

As a colon cancer survivor, any chance I can get to spread the word about getting tested, as a means of detecting, diagnosing and defeating the disease, I jump on as fast as I can. Here's a great website to learn more:

http://coveryourbutt.org/

Tell everyone you know about this. And tell your politicians at the local, state and federal levels. Testing should be covered. It saved my life and can save a lot others. But, not everyone has adequate medical insurance, or can cover the cost of a colonoscopy out of pocket.

Let's all work together to fight colon cancer.

Stand up person of the week

The first "Stand Up Person of the Week" Award goes to John Harper, of WMEL Radio in Melbourne, Florida. John is one of the few people, in this day of radio consolidation, (One of the greatest mistakes the Washington politicians have ever forced upon us) to go it alone with an AM stand-alone news/talk station. John and his staff serve the Space and Treasure coast on the Atlantic-side of Florida like few stations do anymore. With a good selection of both local and national talk shows, sports and more, WMEL, known as the "Talk to Me Station," is a shining example of what radio used to (And still should) be. When the rough weather rolls in, or another space shuttle goes up, WMEL is the station people in the Melbourne area tune to. John cares about his listeners and his community deeply. And I have never worked for a station owner who values his employees (past and present) more.

It is indeed a pleasure and an extreme honor to give the first "Stand up Person of the Week Award" to John Harper of WMEL Radio in Melbourne, Florida. Thank you John, for all you do, for your listeners and for the Duchess, the News Hounds and I. You're simply the best!

Visit John's website, at http://www.wmelonline.com

Late night musings

Here I am, at 11:30p.m., sitting at my computer. I've got mlb.com fired up, keeping track of the Tampa Bay-Seattle game. Two of my three favorite teams. And all three of them aren't doing so hot. San Francisco has been nothing more than the Barry Bonds home run chase all season long; Tampa Bay was the last major league team I've been to see and it seems like Seattle was in the wild card lead just the other day and while still mathematically in the hunt, are about as out of it as you can get. Boy, the bottom sure fell out for them pretty quickly, didn't it?



Speaking of hockey(Was I?), I just finished reading a story about the computers at the rink in Saginaw, Michigan (Home of the OHL's Spirit) not doing their jobs correctly and as a result, the ice completely, not partially, but completely melted away. Fortunately, for them, they have enough time to rebuild the ice before the start of the season. In the WHL, Portland, after the dismal season they had last season, have a new coach, more new players and apparently, a new attitude. We'll see just how many wins that all translates into. The fans, hats off to them, continue to stick by them. We'll see what difference, if any, it makes with this season's entire home schedule being played in Memorial Coliseum. The team's new (in their second year) ownership is finally starting to make some progress in getting the city to begin to follow through on promised improvements to the building, including brand-new video replay screens. Hopefully, the grand ol' "Glass Palace" will return to it's glory days and the fans, who think the team should be playing in the 20,000 seat Rose Garden, will see that the Coliseum is still an excellent place to watch a hockey game.

Finally, (Since it's late, I'm yawning and the Rays are pounding the Mariners) I just want to say how happy I am right now. I have the best wife and children (four-legged variety)that any man could possibly have. I sure know how to pick 'em!

Well, that's it for now. I'd be heading off to bed as soon as I post this, but there's two outs in the bottom of the 8th and Seattle has a rally going. Talk to you later everybody.

**Editor's note: Seattle, down 5-0 in the second rallied, scoring 5 in the 8th, including 3 with two outs, to win 8-7. Sure, too little, too late (most likely) to make the post season. But, still, it's fun to see the home team come back and win like that. And then, to see J.J. Putz come in in the 9th and blow down the Rays in order. I love baseball!

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame unveils new logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dave Fischer (davef@usahockey.org)

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

USA Hockey Unveils New Logo for U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
New Mark Set to Debut During U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Weekend, Oct. 12-13



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today unveiled a new logo to represent the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The new mark will formally debut at the 2007 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame weekend, set for Oct. 12-13 in Grand Forks, N.D.

The logo was designed by Denver-based Adrenalin in cooperation with USA Hockey.

“This logo gives a fresh face to an extremely important entity associated with hockey in our country,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “Adrenalin is among the elite when it comes to brand identity and we were pleased to work with them on this project.”

“In the world of sports, there are those who define their sport, and, through great accomplishments, separate themselves from the crowd,” said Daniel S. Price, principal/president of Adrenalin. “Adrenalin was pleased to be involved in the logo development that recognizes these athletes in a sport rich in tradition and class.”

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame weekend is comprised of the induction ceremony and dinner on Friday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. CST in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on the University of North Dakota campus. The following evening, defending national champion Michigan State will take on host North Dakota at 7 p.m. in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

NOTES: Tickets for the induction dinner and ceremony are $65, while tickets for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game are $28. Tickets for both events may be purchased by calling 701-777-6609 … In May, USA Hockey assumed responsibility for the selection process and induction event associated with the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

College football season underway

The 2007 college football season is underway. My favorite team, the Oregon State Beavers, are off to a 1-1 start. The Beavers, behind Yvenson Bernard's 165 yards rushing on 29 carries and two touchdowns, beat Utah 24-7, in front of over 40,000 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. Week two was a much different story, as Cincinnati totally shut down the Beaver offense, holding Bernard to 30 yards on 16 carries, while picking off five passes, in rolling to a 34-3 victory. The Beaver defense has showed itself to be one of the best in the nation during the first two weeks, consistantly putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and stringing out running plays, allowing little, if any positive yardage on many plays. The Beavers though, have struggled a bit at both quarterback and the kicking game. Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao have struggled to gain control of the offense, while third-stringer Ryan Gunderson has so far seen only a bit of mop-up action in the Utah game. Alexis Serna, one of the best place kickers in the country, has yet to hit his stride as the team's new punter. Oregon State has a chance to contend for the Pac-10 title and perhaps a BCS bowl as well. But more than anything, improved play at the quarterback spot will be a must.

The biggest upset in all of college football in many years, of course, was Appalachin State winning at Michigan in week one. While Michigan looks like they may well have been way overrated to start the season, the Mountaineers are the defending 1-AA champions and should never be taken lightly. Michigan will have to step things up if they hope to be taken seriously this season. Notre Dame is in the same boat, after getting hammered in their opener.

One team that should be well worth watching, will be Portland State. The Vikings, members of the 1-AA Big Sky Conference, have Jerry Glanville on staff as their new head coach, following the departure of Tim Walsh, who took the offensive coordinator's position at Army, after 14 years at the PSU helm. Running the Viking offense is Mouse Davis. Davis, a former PSU head coach and inventor of run and shoot offense, should bring back life to the program, which has it's eyes set on not only a Big Sky title, but in becoming closer to being considered on the same level as the Pac-10 programs in Corvallis and Eugene.

And since I reside in the middle of the reddest state in the nation, I must say something about the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They look like a real solid football team, worthy of their top-25 ranking. The Huskers are off to a 2-0 start, hammering Nevada last week and squeaking past Wake Forest on the road earlier today. Nebraska hosts top-ranked USC next Saturday in what should be an excellent football game. Unless, of course, the Trojans come flying out of the gate offensively and control the Big Red offense. Then, it could get ugly quick. However, I expect the big red-clad crowd at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to inspire their team to a big effort. It'll be a fun game to watch.

While I mainly just follow Oregon State football, I may have to expand my scope of following the college ranks. This could be a really fun season.

On a personal note....

This past Tuesday, August 21st, was the one-year anniversary of my colon resection, following my 2006 diagnosis of stage one colon cancer. To mark the occasion, I had a colonoscopy. In the weeks preceding my check-up, I was nervous, concerned, scared, you name it. Every little tweak, twinge, tug, pull or unexplained pain had me concerned that a recurrence was in progress.

The doctor who performed the colonoscopy, did take a tissue sample, from near where my colon was put back together. He thought it was nothing more than scar tissue, but just wanted to be sure. On the morning on the 23rd, I picked up a voice mail on my phone, asking me to call the doctor's office. Boy, did I get nervous, thinking I was about to be told the worst. After calling, then being put on hold for two minutes, making me even more nervous, the wonderful person on the other end of the line said the four sweetest words I have heard in awhile: "No Evidence of Disease." Oh my, did my heart ever soar! I was, on one hand, certain that would be the result on my colonoscopy, but also convinced that this ugly disease would strike me again, jeopardizing everything I have worked so hard for. When I heard that I was indeed NED, I realized that I'd still have the opportunity to enjoy the love of my family, my friends and pursue my broadcasting career.

I am so thankful for lots of things: My wife, who has been my rock, my love and my hero; the doctors, who have taken such good care of me; my friends, who have been so supportive and Internet sites such as this one, where I have met several new friends and learned so much about life as first, a cancer fighter and now, as a cancer survivor. You all have been an inspiration. Thank you.

I now know I am on the road to old age, not that I'm all that far away, but at least I know now I'm headed in that direction. I hope that, along the way, that my story will encourage others to get screened for colon cancer. I am living proof that early detection can save lives.

Thanks for listening. Have a day as wonderful as you are!

Today is the one-year anniversary of my colon cancer diagnosis

I remember it all so clearly. I was sitting in the studio of my radio station, waiting for my work day to end, so I could go back to Orlando and take my wife home from the hospital after a procedure she had the day before. Then, the phone rang. On the other end was the G.I. doctor who performed my colonoscopy. He told me that the one polyp he had removed, showed signs of cancer at the tip. After giving me a moment(or maybe I just took it) to digest what was just said, he then reccomended the person who eventually performed my resection.

I remember then telling my boss, then my wife when I saw her and I think they were both more upset than I was. Not that I wasn't upset, of course, but more like stunned, numb, disbelieving, however you could describe the feeling.

It has been quite a year since then. Surgery on August 21st, our move from Florida to Nebraska just one month later, working with my hockey team, at my new radio station, umpiring baseball, being involved with our local Relay for Life as emcee(Which I get to do again next year too!) and now approaching my one-year post-op colonoscopy. I'm still not 100% recovered, but look forward to one day being back to, what others so accurately describe as a "new normal."

Thanks to everyone in the Storm organization, especially Coach Littler and Grege Shea, who have been so supportive. It has been greatly appreciated.

We can never have too many "warm fuzzies" on the road of life as a cancer survivor, right everyone? I'm glad mine are purple.

Storm radio voice to emcee "Relay for Life"

From http://www.stormhockey.com:

STORM RADIO VOICE TO EMCEE “RELAY FOR LIFE”

KEARNEY – The Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League announced today that team radio announcer John Meissner will emcee the 2007 American Cancer Society’s Buffalo County “Relay for Life.”

The event, that celebrates area cancer survivors while also helping to raise awareness and money for fighting the disease, will take place at the Kearney Catholic High School track on June 1-2. Meissner, who is a cancer survivor himself, will be the Master of Ceremonies for this year's event.

“It is truly an honor to be a part of this wonderfully powerful and moving event,” said Meissner. “To be able to join my fellow survivors to raise awareness of this dreaded disease and to show that a cancer diagnosis need not be a death sentence, is a privilege I look forward to with a great deal of anticipation.”

Theresa Baack, the chairman for the 14th annual Buffalo County “Relay for Life” said, “Cancer touches us all. I would guess that not one of us can say that we don't know anyone who has been touched by cancer. Many factors contribute to our susceptibility to this disease, some genetic, some not. But we can make a difference and improve our chances by not smoking, by protecting ourselves from sun exposure and by controlling our diets. We can also help ourselves and others by increasing awareness on preventative measures and during events such as these, by raising money to fund cancer research to find a cure. Perhaps, someday, people will not have to fear cancer.”

This year's event begins with on-site registration at 5 p.m. Friday, June 1. Relay events, including a survivors’ dinner, live auction, music and other entertainment, as well as teams representing groups from around Buffalo County walking throughout the night begins at 6 p.m.

For more information on the 2007 American Cancer Society Buffalo County “Relay for Life” can visit the event's official website at http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=191372.

Welcome to my blog

Hello hockey fans and welcome to my blog. I'm John Meissner and I'll talk about whatever catches my eye in the world of hockey. Thanks for stopping by!