Update on fundraiser for Ryan Christian

$1405 raised at NYTEX during the silent auction/photo sale

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table at the NYTEX Sports Centre last weekend. Through the silent auction and the sale of photos, and through cash donations, $1405.00 was raised.

The funds, which accounted for 100% of the proceeds from the event, are being forwarded to the Ryan Christian Love Fund this week along with the get well card signed by many. $1205.00 was converted to a cashier's check and $200.00 comes from a personal check from the individual who won the Dallas Stars team signed stick.

Part two of the fundraiser will be done as an eBay auction, to be announced soon.

I wanted to send out a few special thank you's to the following individuals who helped make this effort a success:

Gina and Vicki Buckingham, Dan Wildfong, Mike Barack, Scott Plourde, Chad Siewert, Phil Shipp and the rest of the Texas Brahmas organization, Brian Benway, Matt Brayfield and Terry Ruskowski of the Laredo Bucks, Tommy Scott, Ken Carroll, John DeCaro and Brett Smith and visiting fans of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Garrett Roper, Mary Bradford, Walter Maultsby, Jack Jones, Dee and Kevin Brant, Davis Nelson, Chris Moore and many others.

Ryan and her daddy Jeff Christian

What's this all about? If you’ve been a fan of Central Hockey League hockey for any amount of time, I’m sure you know of Jeff Christian. The 39-year-old right wing has played over 19 years of professional hockey in the six different leagues, including the NHL, AHL, IHL, EIHL (England) and the DEL ( Germany). He is now in his fifth season in the CHL, having played with the Youngstown Steelhounds, Tulsa Oilers and now the Missouri Mavericks.

Christian led the Mavericks in points (69), goals (28), assists (41), power play assists (19) and shots (204) and was the first player signed to the expansion franchise last year. And while the Mavericks are currently battling in the playoffs, Christian and his family are involved in a struggle of another kind – his eight-year-old daughter Ryan is fighting a rare form of cancer.

Diagnosed with Pediatric Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma, a cancer of the adrenal gland that affects literally one or two people in a million, Ryan has recently been moved to St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, a facility known world-wide as a premier cancer center for children.

Obviously, there are great costs involved with Ryan’s travel and care and there are numerous efforts, including my own, underway to assist the Christian family with those costs.

Read a great article on the effort to assist the Christian Family here

You can keep updated on Ryan's progress here

You can also join the Ryan Christian Love Fund Facebook page.

If you would like to make a donation directly to the fund, please make checks payable to “The Ryan Christian Love Fund” and mail to:

Ryan Christian Love Fund
c/o Missouri Mavericks
19100 E. Valley View Parkway
Independence, MO 64055

Thanks for getting involved!