IE's first night at the Games- Pirates, people and more!

Hello to all my awesome sisters!!! This is Barb Hall from Iota Epsilon.

Once again, I and three of my sisters traveled from Kokomo, Indiana, to share in this experience with our sisters, and the inspirational athletes and their families who have traveled from their home states to not only compete, but also to celebrate.

I volunteered for the 2006 Games as a collegian, and I instantly fell in love. I was not expecting the feeling that came over me while being there. I met so many people and listened to so many personal stories, all of which were interesting and kept me thinking of them still to this day. I knew that I had to do it again.

Now, I am an alumna, and I am doing exactly what I knew I would be doing two years ago. As I write this, I am making a promise to myself that I will return in 2010.

Being here has allowed me to see how much hard work everyone does to make an event like this possible. It’s a great experience for me, too, because I recently began volunteering on an international level with Phi Sigma Sigma and will be serving on our Convention and Special Events Task Force! I know I can learn a lot here on a number of levels.

Today has been a very exciting day. We started our adventure at the Games Expo. As we walked around the floor meeting athletes and their families, we did something that everyone here loves to do, especially me… we traded PINS!!! To me, trading pins allows us to be able to get to know the people who all of my sisters have had a hand in helping.

The athletes and their families thanked us profusely for sponsoring the Games and for being there to support them. Many of them remembered us from Louisville and told us stories about the different ways we made their experience at the Games special.


After the Games Expo, we walked to PNC Park to watch the Pirates vs. the Cardinals baseball game. We had so much fun together. We ate the classic baseball food, sang the classic baseball song, and shared in the classic Phi Sig sisterhood.

I wish you all could be here and, hopefully by reading these blogs, you will feel like you are here with us sharing in this wonderful experience.

Thank you to all my sisters who worked so hard to make this experience possible – not only from me but also all the athletes and families.

Barb Hall
Iota Epsilon, Kokomo

Random thoughts from that Romero girl

It's 10:30 p.m., and a gang of us just run like the wind to catch the very LAST shuttle from the convention center following this evening's (lackluster-because-they-lost, but totally fun) Pirates games. Sweaty, laughing and still out of breath! Now back at the Residence Inn, we've ordered pizzas and fired up the computers for tonight's round of blogs. … I'm working on 1.5 hours of sleep from last night, and yet, among my sisters here in Pitt, I know I have "miles to go before I sleep," haha! It'll be a long night. Isn't it always?

Nash is behind me figuring out right now how to hawk her newest "wares," a pair of Transplant Games soccer bags that everyone here admires appreciatively and agrees will go for BIG bucks next year at LCs or other Foundation events. She also showed us all the letter shirts she brought, and Missy, Erika and the crew have helped her choose which ones to wear on what days. "We've dressed you!" they pronounced. Nash seems most satisfied!

Everyone's psyched about being here, about how many sisters are in Pitt, about the incredibly positive response we're already getting from the athletes and families we've met so far. I'm happy to be here, but I have to say I miss certain sisters from the fabulous Philly contingent, including Heather Kelley! (Beta Rho and Nu are here, I see!) OK, time for someone else to hop on here…. More from me later!

Lisa R.

8 hours on the road - and here at last!

After a long ride from New York to Pittsburgh, with "unbearable" music, rude drivers and an unfortunate case of sleep deprivation, we were very excited to find that we had finally reached our destination! Upon arriving, after what seemed like hours of wandering the Expo, we had the opportunity to meet many of our sisters and were happy to see all the different organizations here that were willing to support the cause of organ donation and transplantation.

We spoke to several teams and organizations, and we were glad to find that we all have a shared enthusiasm. This weekend is sure to bring us closer to our cause, and we’re thrilled to return to New York and share our experiences with our fellow sisters and families.

We hope that the experiences and knowledge that we gain at this event will encourage other sisters to participate in the Transplant Games in the coming years.

Thank you for this incredible opportunity!

GET EXCITED!

LITP,
Catt Bobea, Diana Dellacava, Martha Kokotsis, Dorraine Mansano, Alondra Siguas and Betty Starobinsky
Beta Pi Chapter at Queens College

Pirates Game

Well, this isn't much of a game since the Cards are winning 5-0, but the Phi Sigs are here and having a great time!

We participated in the treasured tradition of walking across the bridge with thousands of fans. We have seen tons of Games folks here enjoying a beautiful Pittsburgh night.

We will keep the posts rolling and will be at our first athletic event tomorrow! Look for some posts from a few collegians soon!

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Iota Epsilon just arrived!

Our Iota Epsilon chapter from IU Kokomo just arrived at the Games. They drove 7 hours to be with us! As you may know, Aubrey, an athlete this year, is from the IE chapter. You will hear much more about Aubrey in future posts.

Welcome to the latest group of volunteers!
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Pins are all the rage...

Pins, pins, pins! The Games are all about pins. Every team brings pins to trade with each other. The goal is to get one of every pin. This picture is of Joseph who is a Games veteran and a big pin collector. He has a special vest that he puts all his pins on. Joseph has been to 6 Games and has had 2 kidney transplants.

This picture is of his pins so far this year and some from last year. He has hundreds of pins at home and will collect many pins this week!

The Phi Sigs also have mounting pin collections as our pin is a hot commodity!

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Beta Pi's Are In The House!

Six Beta Pi's just arrived at the Games. They traveled 8 hours from Queens, NY to be with us today. Talk about dedication!
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Helping our friends from "Down Under"

The 2008 World Transplant Games are in Australia this year so they have a booth at the expo. Our Aussie friend had some trouble tying his balloons and since we have a few years of recruitment experience with balloons Caryn decided to help him out. We tried to negotiate a free trip to the World Games for our balloon expertise but as of yet, no luck!

We did give our new friend a pin so next time you are Down Under you may see our letters!
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Fred's here!

Those of you who followed the blog in 2006 will remember Fred. He is famous amongst our group because he spent so much time with us in '06. He had a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2001 and this is his third Games.

Nash spotted him right away and brought him straight to our booth. Stay tuned for sightings of more "Phi Sig Friends!"
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And they keep coming...

Our fabulous HQ staff just arrived for their first Games experience! They are here in full force to volunteer and have a great time. Stay tuned for more arrivals!

Katie
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Multi-talented

Did you know that Sandy and Candace are multi-talented? In addition to bring fabulous Foundation directors, they are also masters at balloon columns. We'll post some pictures of the booth later, but I thought that you would enjoy this sneak peek!

Katie
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So now we are really here!

Michele, Caryn and I literally just pulled into the convention center and started to set up our booth. This place is huge!

One of the most touching parts about the expo is the donor quilt. Families who have lost their loved ones and made the important choice to give life to someone else by donating their loved ones organs make a patch for the quilt. Above is a picture of just one of the panels. Literally the quilt spans hundreds of feet end to end across the convention center.

More soon.

Katie
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Ready to Rock!

Just wanted to drop you a line to tell you how excited I am about this weekend's events. For two years I have been waiting to the Transplant Games in Pittsburgh!! I remember the first time I saw the video and thought I have to be there next time. Well it has come and I am filled with anticipation I can hardly wait. Sleep is not an option, up early and ready to get to the convention center, set up the registration table and expo and meet some amazing people. I know this weekend will change my life.

Caryn
Supreme Council

What Today Brings

Well friends, I made it to Pittsburgh in one piece! Minus a small detour up a mountain in West Virginia, I had a terrific drive into the city!

Each night I'll be posting what the next day has in store for our group. Here goes for Friday:

• 9:00 am - 3:00 pm: Set up for the Games Expo.
  
• 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Expo. The Expo is awesome because it is the place where we get to meet and greet all of the athletes. Teams check in together and then work their way through the booths to get to their "goody bags." The Foundation has a prime location on the aisle right before the athletes make it to their final stop. Our neighbor is Larry Hagman (of Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie fame) so we'll be sure to take some pictures and post more about that soon. Shout out to Michele D. who is the Event Lead for the Expo. She has spent many hours planning and organizing so the rest of us can relax and have a great time. Thank you Michele!
• 7:00 pm: Pittsburgh Pirates Game. I'm pumped for the game. The Pirates are taking on the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. The Phi Sigs are going to be recognized during the game. For the first few innings I'll be glued to the scoreboard so I can capture our "name in lights!"

Those are the Friday highlights. There is a lot to do and so many people coming in to help us. I'm looking forward to getting started and meeting new friends and seeing old ones.

One thing I'll post more about later is my interest in finding some of the great folks we met in 2006 in Louisville. I'll never forget some of them including David an 8 year old who had a kidney transplant. Today David is 10 and I hope he is at the Games because he brought such inspiration to us all.

More soon.

Katie

Stymied But Still Stoked

I am so sad as my departure to the Transplant Games is now delayed. Some of you may know that I work in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. at the Committee on Ways and Means. Duty calls and your taxpayer dollars are hard at work, so my arrival at the Games is delayed until tomorrow afternoon.

I can't wait to see the amazing number of Phi Sigs who will be joining us this year!!! Our volunteer team is over 120 sisters strong. But most importantly I'm so thrilled that all of our fabulous donors, through our blog, will see the impacts of their gifts as we support the remarkable athletes and donor families at the National Kidney Foundation Transplant Games. See you in Pittsburgh!!!

LITTG (love in the transplant games),

Kim