It's time to give back - Three tragedies in the off-season, three families in need

At the risk of sounding like every other donation pitch you've ever heard, I want to implore anyone who reads this to make a donation to three families who need your help.

It doesn't matter how much you can give, it just matters that you give. Please, get out your checkbook and write a check for any amount you can afford and mail it today. It's too easy to want to help but never get around to doing it.

Rob Guinn

Rob Guinn passed away on the evening of July 12th after a tragic car accident. The accident happened near Jefferson, Iowa when a driver ran a stop sign and hit Guinn’s car. Guinn, who is survived by his wife Brooke and five-month old daughter Olivia, was 32 years-old.

Guinn began his career with the WPHL’s Central Texas Stampede in 2000 and played 74 games in the CHL seeing action with New Mexico and Tulsa. During the 2006-07 season with the Scorpions, Guinn scored seven goals with 49 assists ranking sixth among all defensemen with 56 points. He was selected as a member of the CHL’s Southern Conference All-Star Team in 2007. Last season, Guinn played 10 games with the Tulsa Oilers. He returned to Illinois to be closer to his family and finished his career as a member of the Bloomington Prairie Thunder of the International Hockey League.

"He touched a lot of people in the time he was here in Tulsa," Oilers coach Dan Hodge said. "Rob was a consummate professional and the thoughts and prayers of all of us are with his family."

His family has set up the Rob Guinn Memorial Fund to support 5-month-old daughter Olivia's future education. Donations should be mailed to:

The Leighton Legal Law Firm, 802 N. Clinton Street, Suite 1, Bloomington, IL 61701

Jason Baird

Former Youngstown SteelHounds player Jason Baird was seriously burned on July 17th when the lawn mower he was riding exploded. Baird, 27, of Cayuga, Ontario, was working with a private landscaping company when the accident occurred.

Baird is in stable condition at the Akron Burn Center. His wife, Bethany, said Saturday that despite suffering burns over 60-65 percent of his body, he is responding to those around him.
“He is fully aware of his situation,” she said. “He’s responded very well, letting us know that he knows we’re here. He is holding his own.”

Baird began his professional hockey career seven years ago with the Cincinnati Cyclones. He came to Youngstown last November as part of a trade with the Corpus Christi Rayz. He played 45 games for the SteelHounds, scoring 13 goals and making 23 assists. His 36 points made him the fifth-leading scorer on the team.

Six days before the accident, Baird signed with the Muskegon Fury of the International Hockey League.

Baird and his wife have a daughter and the family includes her two sons from her first marriage.

Donations should be mailed to:

Baird Family Fund Account c/o Bank of America 8612 Davis Blvd. North Richland Hills, TX 76180. You can also transfer funds to the Baird Family Fund Account #2614 if you have an account with Bank of America. You can use the Bill Pay feature if you have online access set up for your account.

Les Borsheim

Colorado Eagles defenseman Les Borsheim, 29, was critically injured in a motorcycle accident on June 1st. Borsheim was riding with two other motorcyclists when he failed to make a right-hand turn and went off the left side of the road, according to a release from the Colorado State Patrol. He was ejected from the motorcycle and suffered a broken neck and other injuries. He was airlifted to North Colorado Medical Center where he underwent surgery that night to fuse two vertebrae in his neck and reduce swelling his spinal cord.

A fan favorite, Borsheim scored a career-high 22 points last season, helping the Eagles reach the President's Cup Finals for the third time in its five-year history.

Borsheim is now in rehabilitation at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado. He has demonstrated some movement in his hands and legs, giving his family, friends and teammates hope that he will not be paralyzed.

Borsheim did not have health insurance coverage at the time of the accident. The part-year insurance from the Central Hockey League ran out eight days before the accident.

Please visit TeamBorsheim.com, a website set up and managed by Borsheim's former teammate, Tyler Fleck. The site features updates on Borsheim's condition and has a place for people to leave well-wishes. The site also takes donations via PayPal and features online auctions and merchandise that can be purchased to help raise money.

Donations should be mailed to:

Les Borsheim Recovery Fund c/o Tyler Fleck, 17 S. Trail Ridge Road, Edmond, OK 73012. Checks should be made payable to Conrad Borsheim.