'Tis The Golf Season!

With less than a month away, the Cabrini Connections' staff, board members, and program supporters continue to prepare for a successful 2010 Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Benefit. The year's event will be held at the Highland Park Country Club on Thursday July 15, 2010 and everything will kick off around 11am with registration and lunch to follow. If you have not golfed at or atleast observed this course, you are truly missing out. This is one of the best courses in the area!
We are looking to make this year's event better and this is how YOU can help out. We are looking to have a full roster of golfers, and a full roster for this year's event would be a roster of about 100 golfers. If you are interested in signing up for a foursome or if you want to come solo and get placed on a team, you can register here.

Let's say your boss is being mean and won't let you get away for the work day to get some exercise and to stay in shape with a full day of participating in the sport of golf (smile), you can take part in the evening events after work. From 5-8pm we will be concluding the day with an open bar, buffet style dinner, and a silent auction filled with a variety of great gifts. You can register just for the evening events here.

Now you find out that you have to work a full day on July 15th or you will be out of the area and can't attend any of the fun that taking place at the golf benefit, BUT you would still like to show your support...we are always looking for individual and corporate sponsorships that not only ensure an even better golf benefit but truly provides the much needed resources our program seeks to be successful. If you or your place of business would like to be a sponsor at this year's golf benefit we have a variety of sponsor levels that you can submit here.

We appreciate any and all support for this year's Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Benefit, so whether you are coming solo or with a 4 some to golf, just attending the evening events to eat, drink, socialize, and take home that silent auction item of your dreams, or just looking to make a donation to a great event and an even better cause...Cabrini Connections; know that we value and appreciate your support and willingness to assist us in providing the resources needed for every student, volunteer, and staff to be successful.

~Help Turn Dreams Into Reality~

#53 of the Chicago Bears, Nick Roach

Outstanding Attendance Leads to Summer Fun!

The Cabrini Connections' organization is like nearly any other tutoring/mentoring program around the world, the program doesn't work if people are not here. With that being said we aim for outstanding attendance amongst our students, volunteers, and staff and we set a program expectation of 85% or better attendance percentage throughout the year. We just wrapped up our 2009-2010 tutoring/mentoring year and we are proud to announce that we had good number of staff, students, and volunteers who successfully reached that attendance goal!!!

We are extremely proud to recognize 2nd year student Ana Tate for not just reaching the 85% goal of the program but for having 100% attendance to the tutoring/mentoring sessions for the entire year!!! What makes this accomplishment even more special is the fact that she is also enrolled in Video and Filmmaker's Club as well that meets on Mondays. Ana shows her dedication and commitment to the program by attending tutoring/mentoring sessions on Wednesday, club on Monday, and she also stops in on other days to take advantage of other program resources throughout the year. As a result of Ana's perfect attendance she was presented with a very nice bike that was donated by Zoya Kolkin who was looking to honor a Cabrini Connections' student. And we thought Ana Tate would be the perfect person to honor because of her perfect attendance!

Cabrini Connections' also puts in an extra effort to finish the year off strong with attendance by adding a bonus incentive of students with 75% or better receiving an opportunity to participate in the "Great America Getaway." Each year the students get to take advantage of a FREE fun day at Six Flags Great America and their breakfast, lunch, and dinner is covered by Cabrini Connections. This year our veteran students offered suggestions of a different summer incentive and we are exploring a couple of possibilities that should be equally exciting as a day at Great America. We are proud to announce that we had a total of 32 students in the program to earn this opportunity for their exceptional attendance during the 3rd quarter.

The Cabrini Connections staff would like to congratulate and thank each and every student and volunteer who demonstrated outstanding attendance, dedication, and commitment to the program this year. We encourage all of you to continue to lead by example!

See more videos and photos from Dinner

Visit Bradley Troast's blog and see videos and more photos from the year end dinner.

Visit the Cabrini Fund Raising Blog and our Donor page to find ways that you can help this program get the dollars needed to operate for the next 12 months.

Year End Dinner. A Great Celebration

Here's the first video showing students, volunteers, parents, alumni and leaders who participated in the June 10,2010 Cabrini Connections year end dinner.


Find more videos like this on Tutor/Mentor Connection


Watch for more updates. Please visit http://www.cabriniconnections.net/donate and find a way to help us continue this work.

So What is the Winning Formula?

On February 7, 2010 the New Orleans Saints were victorious over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. This was the 44th time where an NFL team has put together the winning formula and became Super Bowl Champs. So what is this "winning formula" that these organizations have had over the years, that has contributed to reaching the ultimate goal and accomplishment in the National Football League? Is the formula having phenomenal players, a great coaching staff, a diligent front office, die-hard fans, top notch facilities? Is it a combination of all or is it a variety of those plus more that has contributed to the various NFL organizations who have hoisted what is now called the Vince Lombardi Trophy?

Sports critics would say that the New Orleans Saints had a great team with a prolific offense, a very tough defense, a league leading quarterback, great decision makers in the front office, and a city and maybe even a nation that (secretly) supported the New Orleans Saints football team and really the city that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. There are those who can and probably do argue that there were other factors that contributed to the winning formula for the Super Bowl Champs this year.

Here in the Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection's organization we are looking for that same winning formula as well. We are not only looking to be a championship team that wins a championship, we would like to be considered a dynasty; with the proper winning formula that would lead us to numerous championship title shots.

We are nearly completing our 2010-2011 season and at this point a 2010-2011 season and beyond may be a dream and not reality, and with that being said a winning formula is definitely needed! We have a pretty good history in this league, with many of our players retiring from the league and going on to do positive things in their life. Our facility is clean, safe, easily accessible to many, and equipped with what we consider are the necessities that our players and coaches need to be successful. The reviews that our organization gets in the media and from other organizations in the league is positive.

So what is the winning formula that our organization needs to be successful? Are there changes that need to be made in our playbook, changes in our personnel and fan base, and/or our mission and goals or is the problem solely in our financial status and fundraising tactics? We are continuing looking to find the winning formula that the Cabrini Connections' program needs to be successful, but we are looking for the winning formula for all tutoring/mentoring programs to be successful as well. Unlike in the National Football League where teams compete against each other to be number one at the end of the season, in this tutoring/mentoring league winning is when each and every player, each and every coach, and each and every organization in the league has the necessary resources that contribute to the winning formula.

We will continue to search for the winning formula for the Cabrini Connections' program so that we are not only in the league for the 2010-2011 season, but we will continue to search so that we are contenders for the championship at the end of the season and for years to come. One of the key components to this winning formula is DOLLARS that contributes to other resources within the formula, and Cabrini Connections is in need!!! We need more and more die-hard fans of Cabrini Connections to step forward and cheer us on. So instead of tailgating, painting your face, and yelling to you lose your voice...simply show support by clicking a button and donating to Cabrini Connections

"Go Team!"