Knowing Breast Cancer exists is NOT enough! #DailyStrong
We are grateful to so many who HELPED us RAISE $10,000 in honor of the #REF-4-STEPH Campaign!!
We launched our 2nd Annual #REF-4-STEPH Campaign on October 23rd and we are thrilled to have MET our $10,000 goal to raise awareness AND funds to split equally among both of non-profits who supported Stephanie Daily throughout her journey: Young Survival Coalition (YSC HQ in New York) & Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC HQ in PA).
Furthermore, the LBBC has a match program in process so our $5K donation will be worth $10K to their organization!
Since Blast Equality Collab gave to YSC & LBBC last Fall (all your #REF-4-STEPH Campaign 2022 donations), we now receive powerful messages from both non-profits, inclusive of creative and simply ways to GIVE support in diverse ways - knowing everyone's experience is NOT the same. Also, both organizations provide accurate and helpful education to assist with understanding the many types, stages, phases of breast cancer. These national organizations are excited by our mission and #REF-4-STEPH, and have expressed interest in partnering with us in various ways for next year's campaign!
The reason we love hosting #REF-4-STEPH we are afforded the opportunity to not only raise funds in honor a member of our own referee community who lost her life to breast cancer in June 2022, but also extend our efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness beyond October - keeping it front and center all throughout the season!
In addition to our annual #REF-4-STEPH CYO referee training for close to 70 referees, we incorporate #DailyStrong in a mission-based way to assist in the recruitment, training & development of a new crop of referees addressing the shortage of referees locally & nationally. We teach in alignment with our Embodied Referee mindset to help referees remain present, game by game, play by play and throughout the entire 2023-2024 WDCYO season - both for returning and new officials.
Note: The #REF-4-STEPH shirts, designed by Ashlynn & Shelley that were part of the 2022 campaign AND the pins David Arden designed for 2023 campaign are perfectly acceptable to wear while refereeing in the WDCYO. Game participants & fans ask about them all the time!
Stephanie's journey is remembered with such a great intention of embodying traits she possessed as a person, student of the game and family member, to her own family & friends and to the officiating community, through the practice of officiating which keeps her spirit in the game all season long!
As mentioned, Dave Arden designed a lapel pin which will be given to the first 100 Donors in the #REF-4-STEPH Campaign. We still have pins available!
Added Bonus for #REF-4-STEPH: In addition to funds raised, we are proud to announce we added over 30 new gig officials to WDCYO roster who will be serving 2nd-8th grade girls and boys basketball alongside our returning gig referees! Last year represented the start of the recruitment process and the commitment by our group to train any referees (new and/or returning) who want to participate annually in #REF-4-STEPH regardless of where one officiates, even if not in WDCYO!!
This workshop is free annually for all referees & we add new/returning referees all throughout the WDCYO season!
Sofia Campos: Please click on Sofia's name (one of our recruits from last season - who started officiating at the inagural #REF-4-STEPH and thanks to her Dad, Anthony, for bringing her along). We have many more examples to share as the new season begins!
Let us know how we can assist your organization with training and/or recruitment!! Membership and Grants coming in early 2024 through Blast Equality Collab!!
A special thanks to our event Sponsors & Partners:
Team Schuler Compass Real Estate, Women's Premier Basketball Association & Union City Auto Body, White House Sports Psychology, Community Basketball League & Auto Repair and a special thanks to Christ the King (CTK) for hosting this event annually - Stephanie was a player for CTK & a referee - its truly serendiptious that this collaboration is possible!
ref-ology + Blast Equality Collab (Tax #ID 88-4140645)
(note: ref-ology is now licensed by BEQ)