An unforgettable training camp experience
Vince Rubino of Akron, Ohio wanted to share his fan story, or rather, his young daughter’s fan story that took place during last year’s training camp.
He thought it might be a nice way to start off this year’s training camp!
I wanted to thank Ben for being so gracious to us last summer at Steelers training camp in Latrobe. My 6-year old, Gianna, begged me to take her to a Steelers game in 2011, but coming all the way from Akron, Ohio where we live, I knew between the drive and the game, it would prove to be too long a day for her age. I did the next best thing, I surprised her last July by taking her to Steelers training camp so that she could get an up-close look at her team!
I remember how excited I was when my dad took me to Steelers training camp when I was about the same age, and I was hoping it would become the same great memory for her. I think she asked, “Where are we going?” every 10 minutes of the 2-1/2 hour drive from Akron to Latrobe. We pulled into the beautiful rolling green hills of St Vincent’s College and it looked very much the same as I remember seeing it as a kid. It wasn’t until we walked to the practice field that she realized THESE were the REAL Steelers!
We watched practice and Gianna was so excited she took over our camera. I got a kick out of watching her click away and how quickly she recognized her favorite players, Big Ben and Troy Polamalu.
Then came time for autographs.
We gathered at the fence waiting for the players to walk by. Gianna was in the perfect position – right along the fence – to get autographs and take photos as I watched from just a few feet away. Unfortunately some of the bigger kids (the adults!) started to get overly excited and started pushing aggressively to position closer to the fence. I could see the panic in Gianna’s eyes just before the crowd around her unknowingly started to trample her. I was afraid she would get hurt so I rushed to pull her out from the front of the crowd, but […]
A night out on the town
First dinner for two, then a concert at the Consol Energy Center tonight!
Ash and I at the Eagles concert celebrating our Anniversary! Love the Eagles, I hope they don’t ask me to get on stage to play drums and sing, haha, just kidding! — Ben
Benjamin Jr.
…wants to wish a Happy Anniversary to his parents today!
I waited all day for Grandma & Grandpa to come over to babysit so they could help me send a photo with an Anniversary wish for my awesome Mommy & Daddy! I love you!! — JR.
A great day on the course for a very good cause!
The Second Annual Ben Roethlisberger Foundation Invitational took place on Monday, June 3, 2013 at the beautiful Sewickley Heights Golf Club.
The tournament was a huge success – 118 golfers, including teammate and friend Brett Keisel, Mr. Art Rooney II, Steelers Great Franco Harris, Penguins Great Mario Lemieux, and former Steeler and current ESPN NFL analyst Merril Hoge, joined Ben on the course for a full day of golf and games to benefit his Foundation.
And benefit it they did!
The event raised over $100,000 for both of Ben’s Foundation causes: the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania and Southern West Virginia as well as K-9 Police and Fire Units across the country.
Pre-tournament competitions, which included games such as the Quarterback Challenge, Football Drive, Hat Trick, Three Point Shootout, Roulette Golf, Blackjack, a $5,000 Putt Challenge, and a $1 million dollar Shootout (165 yard shot) got the day started. During the tournament golfers had the opportunity to try their hand at other competitions along the course, including Poker & Roulette Golf, a Men’s and Women’s Long Drive, the Straight Drive, and a TPC Sawgrass “Island Green” hole on the 17th.
Golfers enjoyed both a lunch buffet served on the patio before heading out on the course, and a delicious dinner in the clubhouse after the tournament featuring several buffet stations. On the course, the golfers were treated to made-to-order Primanti Bros sandwiches from a specially prepared golf dining cart!
Prizes were awarded to the winners of the day’s games, and gifts as well as autographed items from Ben were given to everyone upon leaving!
This photo collage was made by Drew Taylor, who played in Ben’s tournament with his father, Rick. The highlight for Drew was meeting and posing with both Ben and Franco Harris.
Sponsors for the tournament included Apollo Jets; King Street Grille; PNC Bank; Cisco/Presidio and Summit Golf Brands – the company behind three of the golf industry’s leading brands: Fairway & Greene, EP Pro, and Zero Restriction.
You can check out and enjoy five pages of great photos from Ben’s tournament here! […]
A baby dilemma!
So my mommy made me wear this hat, and I’m just not sure if I like it or not!
What do you think? Can you all help me out and let me know if I look cute or not? — Thanks, JR
You can see all my photos here (Naturally, I’ve pretty much taken over the Roethlisberger Family album!).
Update on Jr.’s fashion dilemma:
Steeler Nation has spoken (especially the fashion-conscious ladies) and it’s unanimous! Over 5,000 likes and responses via email, the site’s Facebook page, and Twitter account and ALL say that mommy wins and the hat stays!
“Thank you for all you do”
From Jeff Weitzman, retired K9 officer with U.S. Customs, on his appreciation of The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation:
Ben, I wanted to write to express my gratitude for all you do.
So many times we as a society forget our athletic superstars are first and foremost people. People with a heart that care about others in ways that are not often completely understood. This wonderful canine program isn’t just about the care and safety of dogs. It is about the care and safety of the general public as a whole.
Having been a Canine Officer and Canine Supervisor I was always amazed at the abilities our canine partners showed time and time again. These amazing animals not only detect narcotics, but can detect explosives, human beings, currency, weapons and countless other items. They are also some of the most loyal companions any person could ever ask for. By the time I had retired from The United States Government, my narcotics detector dog (photo above) had been inducted into the Guinness Book of Worlds Records two times for her detection work. She was inducted again this year. The lives this little dog saved by finding narcotic load after narcotic load can’t be fully understood, until one thinks of the death and destruction these drugs would have and could have brought to the streets of our country.
The love and caring you and your organization not only shows to these animals, but to these outstanding law enforcement organizations, is more than mere words can express. So many law enforcement departments across our country have had to face severe budget cuts. To think that someone like you thinks about more than just yourself brings my heart so much joy that it makes the disabling injuries I suffered on the job a little easier to live with and provides much needed assistance to agencies that are economically disadvantaged. I wish I could come up with new positive descriptive adjectives to express how wonderful I think this organization is but I hope the words I’ve used can express my feelings.
Thank you for all you do! – Jeff Weitzman, United States Customs Service K-9 Officer, retired.
Thank you Mr. Weitzman!
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is currently accepting grants for the 2013 NFL season! You can get information on how […]