Shrine game comes to Butte tonight

By PAT RYAN Montana Standard | Posted: Saturday, July 17, 2010 12:00 am
BUTTE — Seven area football players will be participating in the 64th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game.

Helena High gridders suiting up for the Shrine game are linebacker Jackson Lang, kicker Chase Kloker and wide receiver Adam Johnson. Capital High’s representatives will be wide receiver Josh Dirks and linebacker Seth Walton.

Johnson is the fourth member of his family to be selected for the Shrine Game. His two grandfathers, Robert Johnson and Jim Longin, played in 1947 and 1959, respectively.

BUTTE — After a 63-year run in Great Falls, the 64th annual Montana East-West Shrine football game has made the move to Butte.

The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff tonight at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. A full parade will also course through Uptown Butte beginning at 10 a.m. on East Broadway.

The Montana event is the oldest continuous game of its kind in the nation, and has raised more than $1 million for the Shrine Children’s Hospital in Spokane.

Net proceeds from tonight’s game and surrounding events help fund the hospital’s operation.

Recently, members of Butte’s Bagdad Shrine Temple made a case for moving the game, hoping to bring back interest in the event and to create more income for the hospital.

It was later decided to put the game on a three-year rotation between Great Falls, Butte and Billings. The Al Bedoo Shrine Temple in Billings will be in charge of the 2011 game, though due to a conflict with the Montana State Games, Laurel will be the site of the actual game.

Certainly, there have been hard feelings about moving the game after such a long time in the Electric City. Still, the Butte Shriners who helped bring about the change are convinced that the move will help raise the game’s image and in the end create more money for the final beneficiary — the kids who receive free medical care at Shrine hospitals.

“The reason this game has run as long as it has is because of the work of the East and the Great Falls Shriners,” said West Shrine team coordinator Jeff Hartwick. “We just felt we could inject new life into the game and help improve it in some areas.”

Butte Shriner R.J. Olson, a member of the Shrine game board, said he was sorry to see the downward trend the game had been taking.

“We felt like the game was dying,” Olson said. “We wanted to get the atmosphere back and make it a premiere game like it used to be.”

A group of Bagdad Shriners had considered the idea for a few years before finally deciding to test the waters with the board in October of 2008.

“We had talked about it a lot, but never went further with it,” Hartwick said.

They mentioned it at a board meeting and the response was such that they drew up a proposal to move the game to Butte on a full-time basis. The vote was 5-4 in favor of the change, though it was later decided that Shrine bylaws required more than a simple majority vote.

Through mediators brought in by the Shrine, it was decided in January of 2009 to move the game to a rotation between the three Montana Shrine Temples.

“We weren’t getting the job done in Great Falls as well as we’d like to,” said Dave Bergeson of Billings, president of the board of directors of the Shrine game. He added that the board’s two goals — gaining publicity for the hospital and raising money for the hospital — weren’t being met.

“We have a young bunch of guys here who are excited about the game, so a couple of us older ones decided it was time to give it a shot,” Bergeson said. “The community here has been very supportive.”

Local Shriners are anxious to see the crowds Saturday and are looking for a successful end to this year’s work.

“Hopefully, with the money we raise and the show we put on here in Butte, we’ll set the bar high for future games,” Olson said.

The game had been played in Great Falls since the inaugural year in 1947.

The West won a 20-17 decision last year in Great Falls in the only overtime game in the history of the event. The win snapped a five game West losing streak, though the East still leads the series 36-27.

For the complete story and more player information check the Montana Standard newspaper.

Lance Burton’s Aug. 22 benefit assists Shriners Hospitals for Children

By Lance Burton, guest columnist

The Shriners has been my favorite charity for as long as I can remember because of the work they do. Once again, I’m calling upon my magician friends to put on a benefit show in my theater at the Monte Carlo. It will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22, and feature some of the most talented people in Las Vegas.

I’m mostly impressed with the Shriners Hospitals for Children scattered throughout the United States, and there is one each in Mexico and Canada. The Shriners members volunteer their time and get doctors and nurses to volunteer their services to give medical services for children. It’s a crusade of sorts because there are more children needing services than there are providers.

This is why I try and make it an annual event. I also call upon my entertainer friends to perform at the annual Christmas party at the Zelzah Shrine Temple. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby began that tradition in the late 1940s during The Golden Age of The Shriners.

The Shriners have to undergo joining two other organizations before they can become members. First of all, they must be Masons, and that involves some work and dedication. The next step is to join the Scottish Rites or York Rites.

The nearest Shriners hospital to Las Vegas is in Los Angeles. The Shriners from Las Vegas drive the vans with children in need of treatment. The main office is run out of the Zelzah Shrine Temple.

There are about 900 clients under the auspices of the Zelzah Shrine Temple and 300 more on the waiting list. I’ve helped to purchase the vans used to take the children to the hospitals. Zelzah is a very active temple, and I recently had lunch at one of their fundraisers where they had a crafts fair.

The other hospitals in the West are in San Diego, San Francisco and Salt Lake City. Many of the physicians are surgeons who are tops in their field. The work that they do will radically change the life of a child.

I recently learned of an inspiring story of a 10-year-old girl who doctors said would never walk again after being hit by a car. With the help and dedication of The Shriners Hospital in Chicago, she overcame her spinal cord injury. The young dancer who was ejected from her family’s minivan is now walking again.

Getting the word out is equally important to me so people will know that this is a true charity. Shriners International supports 22 hospitals and has 350,000 members in their fraternity. There are 191 temples (chapters) in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Panama.

Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lips and palates are eligible. Neither they nor their families are under any financial obligations for medical services. The Shriners are dedicated to improving their lives through pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs.

The Shriners have accepted cases from overseas countries such as Poland. I’m aware of one boy who through a benefactor was brought to Shriners. The doctors made a toe into a thumb so that the boy could have a working hand.

I will continue to do my share in aiding The Shriners. I need your help by coming to our show Aug. 22 by buying a ticket at $25, $30 or $35. Call (702) 382-5554 or stop by the Zelzah Shrine Temple during business hours. It’s a great cause!

Lance departs the Monte Carlo on Labor Day weekend after a 15-year headlining run.

For more information & Pictures go to http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2010/jul/15/lance-burtons-aug-22-benefit-assists-shriners-hosp/

A Prelude d'Elegance will be held on July 31, 2010,

A Prelude d'Elegance will be held on July 31, 2010, at Town and Country Village Shopping Center, at Marconi and Fulton Avenues, Sacramento, where some of the cars will be on display prior to the September Concours d'Elegance for the benefit of Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The annual SCCA/SHC Concours is in its 17th year but has been moved from Rancho Cordova to a new, prominent location at the beautiful Sacramento Capitol Mall

The Capitol Concours d’Elegance is a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Sanctioned event judged by SCCA rules. It is one of a group of Concours in Northern California that allow car entrants to earn points throughout the season culminating with a best of the best in October.

The Concours will cover multiple blocks of Capitol Mall between California’s Capitol and the iconic Tower Bridge on Sunday, September 19, 2010, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, featuring cars of Italy, France and an American Icon, the Ford Thunderbird. The Capitol Concours d’Elegance benefits the Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California.

There is more than the actual Concours though. A “teaser” event on Friday, September 17, 2010, with cars parked in lobbies and plazas up and down Capitol Mall, and on Capitol Mall itself.

A Tour d'Elegance will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 18, 2010, for all entrant cars and more,and a Evening Reception d’Elegance.

The Concours Sunday, September 19, includes a Ride and Drive where you will have the opportunity to take a ride in an exotic car or one of several special cars from Mercedes-Benz for a donation to the hospital or give one of the patient children the ride of his or life for a donation.

Cars will line the median down Capitol Mall and vendors and more cars will line the streets on both sides. Garage Style Magazine is hosting an Art and Automobilia tent. http://www.garagestylemagazine.com/home

Shriners unveil hospital expansion plans

By Chloé Fedio, Montreal Gazette July 15, 2010 Be the first to post a comment

The Shriners Hospital for Children is replacing its cramped quarters on the slope of Mount Royal with a new 173,000-square- foot facility with 22 patient rooms and four operating rooms adjacent to the future Montreal Children's Hospital.

The Shriners Hospital for Children is replacing its cramped quarters on the slope of Mount Royal with a new 173,000-square- foot facility with 22 patient rooms and four operating rooms adjacent to the future Montreal Children's Hospital.
Photograph by: Allen McInnis, -

MONTREAL - The Shriners Hospitals for Children is replacing its cramped quarters on the slope of Mount Royal with a new 173,000-square- foot facility with 22 patient rooms and four operating rooms adjacent to the future Montreal Children's Hospital.

The new Shriners hospital will be built on the same site as the McGill University Health Centre's superhospital in the Glen Yards, a former rail yard that borders St. Henri, Notre Dame de Grâce and Westmount.

Mounds of dirt and bulldozers currently occupy the site near the Vendôme métro station.

Plans for the new Shriners building should be finalized by Christmas, officials revealed Thursday. Construction will run parallel with the MUHC project, which is expected to be completed in October 2014.

The announcement comes after a decade of delays, which nearly led the Shriners to relocate to London, Ont.

Keeping the hospital in Montreal is a source of pride for the city, said Richard Deschamps, executive committee member responsible for infrastructure

"This achievement is part of our administration's desire to shape our city into a centre for knowledge and creativity," Deschamps said. "This confirms Montreal's mission to become a true magnet in the field of health services on the international scene."

The old Shriners hospital on Cedar Ave., in operation since 1925, is only 89,000 square feet, and the bigger hospital will accommodate more patients and research, said Robert Drummond, chairman of the Montreal Shriners Hospitals board of governors.

"With more space, we can do more and we can do it even better," Drummond said.

He added patients will also benefit from having the Montreal Children's Hospital as a neighbour.

"The need for intrahospital transport and the inconveniences that go along with that will no longer be necessary. We will have access to new technologies for research and rehabilitation, and it will facilitate us to continue to recruit and retain the best talent," he said.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a health care system that provides specialty care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

The Montreal hospital, which specializes in orthopedic care, is one of 22 in North America and the only one in Canada.
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/reader-comments/Shriners+unveil+hospital+expansion+plans/3282575/story.html#ixzz0trXPeRIQ

Ben Ali Shriners Clinic Benefits Amador Children

For the first time in Amador County, Shriners Hospitals for Children® held a well attended screening clinic in the Amador County Health and Human Services Building in Sutter Creek on Saturday June 12, 2010. During this no-cost clinic, 16 children were found eligible to receive care through the specialized services available at Shriners Hospital in Sacramento with no financial obligation to the parents or families.

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this clinic and the benefit to children in our local community,” said Tom Thompson, President of local Mother Lode Shriners. “Without the use of the Health and Human Services Building in Sutter Creek and support of our Board of Supervisors, the huge success of this clinic would not have been possible. Living and working in a community where the health of our children is so highly valued truly deserves praise.”

Mr. Thompson further commented on the local medical community who readily volunteered their time without hesitation to the children of Amador County. “Dr. Amy Appleton from Sutter Amador Pediatric Center, Dr. Bob Hartmann, and our nurses, Barbara Long, Mary Richards, and Carole Myers should also be commended for the seamless clinic operation.”

Every year, Shriners Hospitals for Children® provides care for thousands of kids, up to age 18, with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, in a family-centered environment. A family's income or insurance status are not criteria for a child's acceptance as a patient. There is no charge for services provided within Shriners Hospitals for Children® facilities. Transportation to Shiners Hospital is provided free of charge.

“As a physician in our county, I see the substantial benefit of programs like this,” commented Dr. Bob Hartmann, Amador County Health Officer. “The lives of each of these children will be vastly affected by the care they receive and will be evident both physically and emotionally as their conditions are treated.”

Shriners Hospitals for Children® have been changing the lives of children since 1922.

Where are You Spending the 4th

About 10,000 Shriners will be in Toranto,Can. you might see some of them aboard the "Maid of the Mist" in the Parade or Niagraga Falls.


Look for Shrine clowns everywhere:


The Apple Valley Shrine Club will be in their Little red Trucks for Red,Blue, White parade at Fontana Raceway. These are the same Little Trucks that you saw in Car & Driver Magazine or in the Radio Shack Commerical. Here is you chance to see them in-person

Several other Shrine Clubs will be in local Parades so watch for them. If your Lodge or Club is going to be in a parade add a comment to this page so we might know where to look for you.