Welcome To The Dawg Blawg!

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday season, we have a new toy here in Dawg Nation. Starting today, all of the news and features concerning our Dawg Nation organization will be posted right here in what we'll call the Dawg Blawg (aren't we clever?). We'll not only post stories about our upcoming or recent events, but we'll also put up some articles that will showcase some of the individuals in our group.

Our first story will be the saga of one of our newest players, former University of Colorado quarterback and current Powderhorn Elementary School principal Mike Freeman. Mike joined our over 40 squad, the Old Dawgs, last summer, and has become a terrific addition, not only as a player, but as a quality guy who fits right in with our group. Well, Mike had himself a little bit of a day right before Christmas, and then found out what Dawg Nation is all about.

MIke and a bunch of Dawgs were playing pond hockey at the home of Graham Richardson, who is the father of our president, Marty Richardson. The pond has become a huge staple for Dawg Nation, not only helping our players improve their game, but also hosting young players from around the Denver Metro area. The kids come up and have a terrific time on the ice, and their parents generously contribute to our Dawg Nation charity. It's a win/win for everyone.

During the game, a puck deflected off of a stick, and hit Mike right above his eye, leaving a gash that would require 11 stitches to close. And then, if that wasn't enough, on the way to the hospital, Mike and his family were involved in a car crash. Fortunately, nobody in his family was hurt, but it left their van completely totalled.

The toughest part was that the Freemans were scheduled to leave in the next few days for a family Christmas in North Dakota, but now they had no vehicle to drive. But once word got out of Mike's problem, as usual it was Dawg Nation to the rescue. Board member Mike Pijanowski, who just recently returned to action just eight weeks after open heart surgery, volunteered the use of his Chevy Suburban, which would hold all seven members of the Freeman clan. A bunch of Dawgs even chipped in for gas money for the trip, and the Freemans were on their way to the frozen north to spend the holidays with their family.

Of course, the Freemans were very touched and exceptionally grateful for the gesture. But that's just who we are. Whether one of our family is sick, injured, or just plain unlucky, The Nation is always there, doing what we can to help.