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ProSource Teams Up With Football Elite for Competition and Charity
Posted in:
Articles by ProSource,
Superfeature Articles
By William Kispert
| Mar 13, 2008
Imagine hauling in a perfectly thrown spiral for a go-ahead touchdown from the likes of Super Bowl champs
Kurt Warner or
Brad Johnson.
Or actually lining up against Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Ricky
Proehl, Mark Rypien, Charlie Frye, Rudy Carpenter, or Torry Holt, while
playing in the Arizona Cardinals state of the art facility. That's
exactly what some of the guys at
ProSource were up to during the annual
Kurt Warner's Ultimate Football Experience.
This celebrity-filled flag football tournament brought together 10
corporate sponsors from across America, March 7 and 8, to compete with
the big boys for charity, competition and good clean fun.
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NFL quarterback Brad Johnson unleashes pin-point pass to ProSource's Andrew Mandeville who slipped behind the defender.
[+] click to enlarge |
All the proceeds for this event went directly to the First Things First foundation,
which is a public charity founded in 2001 by Kurt and Brenda Warner.
Inspired by their personal, faith-based vision, devotion and
generosity, this dynamic duo sponsors numerous programs that provide a
wide array of community benefits, proving every day that actions speak
louder than words.
Through
First Things First,
the Warner's have established an organization of charity and change
that has literally helped thousands of underprivileged individuals rise
above their limitations to rekindle their sense of faith, hope and
family, while having a ton of fun in the process!
A major fund-raiser for the foundation, the
Ultimate Football Experience
combines the Warner's passionate sense of love and caring, with
America's favorite game, by bringing other like-minded groups together
for this action-packed event.
Like the other corporate sponsors of this amazing charity (Walmart, Insight, Arizona Cardinals, and others),
ProSource's
eight-member team of employees, friends and relatives banned together
for the love of the game and helping others and headed down to Tempe to
see how they'd stack up.
Before they took the field, each of
the 10 teams drafted a participating current or former NFL star to
serve as the quarterback for their team. The order of the draft was
determined through a process based on competitive events the night
before. Beyond the QB, the teams consisted primarily of the sponsor's
employees or friends, while a couple teams seemed to have hedged their
bets and recruited high level college athletes, which amped up the
competition level even further.
Team ProSource
entered the tourney as the only rookie team (and heavy underdog) but
ended up surprising everyone with some top-notch play. The
over-achieving ProSource roster consisted of company founder Bob
Chinery, his son Robbie, Mike Goode (shipping foreman), John Tarzy,
(transportation coordinator), and friends Derek Hughes, John
Amenhauser, Chris Eshelman, and Andrew Mandeville. ProSource finished
high in the draft competition and actually got their top choice
Brad Johnson for QB.
The goal, of course, was to win as many games as possible in this
two-day event, with the hopes of upsetting a top team or two on the way
to winning it all. In other words, turning fantasy into reality.
Even though the games were conducted in the spirit of giving and fun,
make no mistake, it was still intense football played at a very
physical level by accomplished athletes with a burning desire to win.
In other words, the kind of highly competitive contests you'd expect
when champions play the game.
Led by Brad Johnson and his
super-accurate passing, Team ProSource surprised everyone by advancing
to the semifinals, where they were narrowly defeated by a team stacked
with elite NFL and college stars, including Anquan and his brother. In
the process of attaining a very respectable record of 3 wins and 2
losses, ProSource beat some excellent teams along the way, including
one that had earlier beaten a top-notch team consisting entirely of
starting football players from Arizona State University. Their biggest
achievement, however, was tying Kurt's team, sponsored by Joyce Meyers
Ministries, in the final seconds of their game in the preliminary
round, which went undefeated and won the tournament for the third time.
Additional photos:
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Mike Goode escapes defender while fighting for extra yards.
[+] click to enlarge
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Chris Eschelman turns it up field with a pivotal reception.
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Kurt had his team running like a well-oiled machine, with precise route
running, pin-point passing and multiple defenses that dominated the
competition. Despite it all, ProSource still played them tough the
entire game, taking that powerful team to overtime with an exciting
last-second score, but eventually lost the contest by 2 measly points.
ProSource was the only squad that even came close to upsetting the
champs. Although it was a gut-wrenching loss, the team came away
knowing they have a real chance at winning the title next year.
"I would say that our team did as
well as it did because our guys were well conditioned, strong, and had
lots of endurance. We lacked the experience of playing in such a
high-level organized event but our player's overall physical
conditioning made up for it. The game got real rough and our guys just
continued performing at a high level all day long. Plus, Brad's amazing
accuracy made all the difference in the world. We simply could not have
done as well without such a great QB at the helm," said Chinery. "More
importantly, though, than the game itself, I can't say enough about how
great each of these top stars treated us all. Kurt, Brenda, Brad, Mark,
Torry, and all the guys couldn't have possibly been any friendlier or
fun to hang out with. They really made the entire event an
unforgettable experience for everyone there. They are true champions in
every sense of the word."
Of course, ProSource was lucky to
have Johnson behind center. Afterall, he's a longtime, highly
accomplished NFL quarterback with a Super Bowl ring to prove it. But
the fact that a bunch of regular guys playing as a team for the first
time could not only compete with, but actually defeat some of these
amazing athletes, who are at the top of their game, is truly a
remarkable achievement. It says a lot about the value of staying in top
physical condition and making the most of your opportunities.
Team ProSource
already has their sights set on next year's tournament. ProSource
transportation administrator, John Tarzy, says "Even though I
dislocated my finger in the process, I wouldn't trade this experience
for anything. Plus, this was our first year in the event and we came
pretty close to beating the eventual champion. I can't wait until next
year, because we're going to bring it, bigtime!"
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John Amenhauser hauls in a key pass in traffic.
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Bob Chinery makes a key defensive stop by ripping the flag from a speedy receiver, preventing a go-ahead touchdown.
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Chinery says, "We definitely plan on continuing our support of First
Things First, not just because it was such a fun event but because Kurt
and Brenda and their staff do such wonderful things through the
foundation. In particular, they personally host a group of special
needs children on a Disney World vacation each year. Hearing Brenda
tell stories about these trips and the impact they have on those
precious children brought tears to the eyes of every guy on our team",
says Chinery.
ProSource's longstanding connections with
America's performance-driven athletes both professional and amateur and its own devotion to supporting charitable foundations made this event a natural fit.
In addition to being a corporate sponsor for First Things First, ProSource is also a major supporter of Oceans of Love (a New Jersey charity that helps kids with cancer), Smile Train,
which provides surgery for kids in Third World countries that have
cleft pallets and other facial deformities, as well as other local
charities geared mostly to children. So when given the chance to
contribute to this most worthy cause, while at the same time competing
against such prolific athletes, it was just too good to, well, pass up!
"Lining up against some of the NFL's
finest was both scary and very exciting. Hanging out with them a bit
was even more fun. A great bunch of guys and incredible experience for
me personally," said Mike Goode.
More About First Things First
The First Things First foundation is comprised of numerous charitable
programs that cover a wide array of events and services. All of their
projects are inspired by, and centered around the
Warner's fervent life theme of
putting faith and family first. One of the things that sets their
foundation apart from similar organizations is Kurt and Brenda are very
hands-on and get personally involved with the programs and the people.
For example, they team up every year with Walt Disney World, American
Airlines, Dream Factory and Make-A-Wish Foundation to treat children
with life-threatening illnesses and their families to a free, week-long
vacation at Disney World. The Warner's not only co-sponsor this
wonderful deed but also personally host the fun-filled trip, spending
quality time all day long with both the children and their parents. The
families even enjoy luxury accommodations at the non-profit fantasy
resort called Give Kids the World, culminating in a poolside party and
barbeque complete with Disney characters. You can imagine how wonderful
these kids must feel to be treated in such a delightful and loving way.
Some of the Warner's other vital
foundation projects include, The Ticket Program, where underprivileged
youth receive free First Things First apparel and tickets to Cardinal's
home games. Special Olympics PPK, which offers an opportunity for 50
Special Olympics athletes in Phoenix, St. Louis and Kurt's hometown of
Cedar Rapids Iowa to learn the basics of football, enjoy meals together
and share the day.
Another collaboration the Warner's
are intimately involved with is Homes for the Holidays. Working with
Aaron Rents, Inc and Homes for the Holidays founder Warrick Dunn,
current running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, First Things First
rewards single parents who have met certain qualifications such as
taking classes in home ownership and finance, in addition to actually
helping in the construction of the house. These lucky recipients are
then awarded the down payment for the new home, furnishings and other
amenities, making the dream of home ownership a reality for deserving
single parents.
Behind Every Success is a Team Effort
In addition to all the generous corporate sponsors, a great deal of
thanks should also go to the entire roster of current and former pros
and college stars that played in, and contributed to this extraordinary
event. They include, of course, Super Bowl champion quarterback and
current Cardinal's starter Kurt Warner and his lovely wife Brenda, Head
Coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinal's starting
wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, St Louis Rams
starting wide receiver Torry Holt, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Charlie
Frye, Super Bowl Champion quarterback and current Dallas Cowboy Brad
Johnson, two-time Super Bowl winning wide receiver Ricky Proehl,
two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Mark Rypien, and highly rated
Arizona State University starting quarterback Rudy Carpenter. Without
their valuable time and efforts, this would not have been possible so
ProSource specifically would like to thank them for their generous
participation in this exciting program of charity, fun and football!
Just stepping onto the same field
with these great players is exciting enough but actually playing the
game with and against them is the ultimate experience for any true
football fan.
Said Chinery, "It was the thrill of
a lifetime playing with these guys and catching touchdown passes from a
Super Bowl champion quarterback like Brad. I was really proud of our
team and how we performed against such incredible competition. And
knowing that this great event is for such a worthy cause makes the
entire enterprise that much more rewarding.
"Kurt and Brenda are to be highly
commended for making it all happen. They're both great people with
hearts of gold!"
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Disclaimer: The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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