Happy Holidays!

With the the Holiday Season so close I wanted to reach out to everyone and thank them for everything so far.  The support has been amazing so far.  I also wanted to let everyone know that my mission is still not complete, but I have not given up.  I now have a young boy that I know would love to make it to the Super Bowl and I have to make it happen.

Over the last month or so I was lead on about a trade that could have changed the shape of the project in a big way.  It never came to pass and lead me to waste a lot time hoping that it would work out and get us one step closer to the goal.  That being said I may be on the verge of another very cool trade.  I do still have the four-wheeler and may be coming home from the holidays with a new item to the put back up for trade.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have not given up and I WILL make this happen.  I set out to complete this journey and although there have been some pretty big bumps in the road, I am not going to let it get the best of me.  Please share the story with family and friends this holiday season and get this project back out there so people can see it an help us.  Any spreading of the project would be greatly appreciated, whether it be social media, large scale media, or word of mouth.  Every little bit helps.  I am hopefully that I can get this project back in the national spotlight and get it completed in time for the Super Bowl.  Again, thanks so much and God Bless.

A Recipient has been Chosen

Thanks to the help of the Children's Hospital of Illinois here in Peoria we have selected a child to receive the Super Bowl tickets once they are in hand.  I still plan on making it surprise to the child when I give them the tickets so I will not reveal the child at this time, just to make sure it doesn't get leaked in any way.  I will say that this child has been through cancer treatment and has last a limb due to the disease.  This child loves sports and from what I have been told is a huge Bears fan.  Although I have a favorite team of my own, I would love for him to get the chance to see his Bears play this year on the trip.

I will keep everyone up to date more often as I haven't posted anything in a while.  I think I am on the verge of another trade in the next week or so, so I will keep everyone up to date as we inch closer to the tickets and making this dream project come true!  Thanks for all of the support so far and don't for get to follow along on Twitter @TwoBlueDice.  I hope to be back soon with more goo news!

Good as New

The 4-Wheeler has been painted and tuned up!  It is finally ready to go to and be traded for the next item.  The paint is fresh and and all wiring has been inspected and approved for riding.  The oil has been changed and the gas lines have been checked.  This thing is ready to go full force.  With it being hunting season in many areas I think this could find a home very soon, and those Super Bowl tickets for the sick child are just around the corner!  Check out the Twitter page @TwoBlueDice for more photos!

Over the Airwaves

Greg and Dan, from WMBD 1470, invited me back for another round of being on air with them and I couldn't have been happier to accept.  Its been awhile since I was able to get the word out through another form of media besides my blog and Twitter so it was great to go back.

I gave an update of the project, including where it all started and where I am today.  I had a blast going on the show again and I can't wait to go again.  They are always a pleasure to be around and truely appreciate their helping me spread the word.

If you would like to take a listen Click Here to listen to the interview in it entirety.  As always you can follow along on Twitter @TwoBlueDice.

Four Trades, Four Wheels

After making the deal in principle a couple weeks ago, I was finally able to make it official this past weekend!  I traded the iPad for a Kawasaki 300 4-Wheeler.  The trade came from a family in Southern Illinois, who were very easy to work with and excited to help.  They had a need for a tablet computer and were willing to trade away the quad to get it.  The vehicle is in full working condition and can be used as is, but I am going to make a few cosmetic changes.  After I get a new paint job done on this machine it will look better than ever and I will be able to make the next trade that much easier.

With this last trade, I am getting closer than ever to the overall goal of sending an ill child to the Super Bowl. I realize that it will soon not be my goal and dream, but a reality.  If you or anyone you know would be interested in trading for this item please let me know by emailing me at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com or send me a message on Twitter @TwoBlueDice.  Thanks so much for the support so far and that which is given going forward!

Back on the Right Path- Trade #3

Its been a long road getting to this point, but it's finally here.  With the help of others I was able to turn the glove into some cash that turned into this 16GB iPad.  This item is a huge upgrade and has put us back on track and moving in the right direction!  This iPad is slightly used and had no scratches or cosmetic damage.  It comes with a black case to keep it in the best condition.

I am currently in the process of finding a child to give the Super Bowl tickets to when I get to that point. I want to make sure that it is the right choice and goes to somebody that could really use it.  Stayed tuned for that in the next couple weeks, but for now spread the word about the iPad.

If you are interested in trading something for the iPad please let me know by shooting me an email to againsttheodds2012@gmail.com, shooting me a Tweet @TwoBlueDice, or via a message on our Facebook Page.  Thanks so much for the support so far it has been amazing!

I Refuse to Give Up

UPDATE: I have decided to try and get a little more interest in donating to the cause so this project can keep going and I would like to announce that there will be prize raffled off for everyone that donates.  For each $5 that is donated you will be entered into a drawing to win a brand new autographed bat signed by top Cubs prospect Jorge Soler.  You will be entered multiple times for amounts donated in increments of $5.  He just completed his first season in professional baseball and it seems he is going to be as good as advertised.  He should rise through the ranks of the Cubs system very quickly.  All you need to do is click the link below! Thanks so much for helping me reach the goal.

These past couple weeks have been very busy for me, as I wound down my first season working the front office of a professional sports team.  I haven't been able to focus as much time as I would like on making sure this project does not fall through.  Now that I am going to have a little more time on my hands I am jumping right back into it.  I refuse to give up and will not stop until this project is complete.

Because I have had such difficulty with trading the Ike Davis glove I have come up with yet another alternative.  I found a website that allows you to create a campaign to raise money in a short period of time and I have decided to use it to get to the next step in the project.  I am looking to get the value of the glove donated to the project so that I can use that to get a trade item and move on from there.  I will then take the glove and donate it to a sick child who happens to be a Mets fan.  The project is now helping another child which I could not be more happy about. 

My goal is to get to $200 in the next 10 days.  That will be enough to move on and get this project back into another gear.  It will move forward much faster from there on out.  If you can donate anything at all please click here to donate.  Every little bit helps and will get us to the goal quickly. No donation is too small.  Thanks so much!

You Help Decide the Next Trade

I have to an agreement in principle for the next trade, but it all depends on you, the followers and supporters to help out.  Allow me to explain.  I have found the next person that wants to help out with the project, but they do not have any use for the glove and want it to go to the a good home where somebody can enjoy it more than they would.  So here is the deal, I am putting the glove up for "sale" and the trade item I get in return will depend on how much the glove sells for.  The glove is posted on online and has a ceiling price as well as a best offer option.  Whatever the highest offer is will determine which item I get in return for the glove's sale amount.  I will not reveal the three possible items so it stays a mystery, but do want you all to know that you can all impact this next item and help me get one more step closer to the ultimate goal!  Doesn't that sound fun?  Now it's up to you to determine the next item I get.  

The ranges for the items are listed below:

If the glove sells for $200-$250 I will receive Item #1, which is the least I will get for the glove in the end.  

If it sells for $251-$300 I will receive Item #2, which is a little higher end item that would help out a lot.

If it sells for $301-$350 I will receive Item #3, which is the best item that I can receive in this deal.

If you would like to make an offer please check out the item here and send it in to me.  If you do not have an Ebay account or would prefer not to use Ebay and would still like to send an offer, you can do so by sending it to againsttheodds2012@gmail.com.  Thanks so much and I can wait to see where this goes!

Football is Upon Us

2012 Outback Bowl Framed, Autographed Poster

This week I received yet another piece of sports memorabilia that I am able to auction off to raise money for the trip.  Outback Steakhouse generously donated a very cool item.  This time the item crosses over into the football realm.  Click the link below the picture to go straight to the auction page!

Up for auction is the above pictured 2012 Outback Bowl Signed and Framed Poster.  The frame is a custom 24x27 poster frame. This poster came directly from Outback headquarters and was donated to the charity project.  This framed poster features two tickets from the game and autographs from each of the coaches above their respective school's logo.  Above the Michigan State logo, Head Coach Mark Dantonio, wrote "Go Spartans!" and signed his name.  Above the Georgia logo, Head Coach Mark Richt, wrote "Go Dawgs!" and signed his name.  This would be an excellent piece for a fan from either school and would go great in a man cave or sports room.  

On another side note the biggest impact on this project his week comes from Jimmy Traina, Sports Illustrated's Hot Clicks Writer.  This past week he posted my project on his daily PM Hot Clicks.  From that I received more page views than I could ever imagine.  For that I would like to thank him.  You can check it out for yourself by clicking here.

The Ike Davis glove is still up for trade.  I need to get the trades back going again so we can send a sick child to the big game.  If you know anyone that would like to trade or would like to do so yourself, please send me an email to me at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com.  As always keep following along or start following if you haven't on Twitter @TwoBlueDice.
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Items Up for Auction

We've now got 3 new items up for grabs at online auction to raise money for this cause.  Just click on the link below each picture to go to the live auction.  I will add the money to the general donations and use it to help pay for all of the trip expenses.  If we are able to cover all of the expenses all of the rest of the money will go straight to medical bills for the family.  Thanks for looking and to the people who donated the items.  And dont forget to follow along on Twitter @TwoBlueDice 

Chipper Jones Autographed Rawlings Bat

Ernie Banks Autographed Retired Number Flag

  Bob Feller Autographed Baseball



And of course don't forget that Ike Davis's Custom First Basemen Glove is still up for trade.  I am still no the mission to trade these items up to the the Super Bowl Tickets for the sick child!

Click Here to email me with a trade offer!

Getting Closer to the Goal

Yesterday morning I was invited to join the Greg and Dan Show live in studio to talk about my project.  It was a blast and I enjoyed talking with them and all of the listeners about the project.  There was also a pretty  big step taken as I may have found somebody that will get the Super Bowl tickets for the end of this project. While nothing is official it seems this project is certainly set for success.  I am still continuing to trade and am actively looking to trade the package of the Ike Davis glove and the autographed Ernie Banks retired number flag.  If you have an offer please let me know!

You can listen to the full radio conversation by clicking here.  Once I can get the ball rolling on a couple more trades I think we can make this happen and send a child to the Super Bowl!  Thanks for all the support!  I also have some much BIGGER news that I will make official within the next few days!  As always, follow along on Twitter for more immediate updates @TwoBlueDice.

A Little Help Goes A Long Way

Today was quite a day.  After setting the views records and getting all the support that I did, I couldn't be more proud to be doing what I'm doing.  There was another piece of big news that I am just now able to sit down and tell you all about.  I was given the item above, an Autographed Ernie Banks Retired Number Flag, by a good friend of mine Justin Hopper (@jhopper11).  He didn't want anything in return for the item, but instead wanted me to add it to the trade item I currently have and increase the value for the next trader.  So with that being said I am adding it to the list of items to auction off to raise money for the cause.  

I will keep that one short and sweet and just get right to it. Who wants to trade for the now TWO items that I have.  Please email me with any offers at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com.  Also let me know if you would like to donate any items or make a monetary donation to the cause.  As always, follow along on Twitter for faster updates @TwoBlueDice.

It Just Keeps Getting Better

This week just keeps getting better and better.  When I got to work today I was looking over the blog views and I saw an unusual spike in the views for that time of day.  I investigated and found that many people were being driven to the blog from a Yahoo Sports page!  when I read over it I was amazed at how fast this story has gotten to this level.  The project is getting so much attention so fast that I am in disbelief.  I did not think it would all happen so fast, but I could not be happier about it.  If you would like to check out the article please click here. 

I can't thank them enough for what they did to help put it on the map.  Today we went over 500 blog views, which, for the third straight day, was a new record for views in 24 hours!  There are many other people contributing to this as well.  There are almost too many to count and I appreciate each and every person that helps spread the word.  My alma mater, Western Illinois University, also did a write up about me as well, which can be seen by clicking here

Again, thanks to everyone who is making this possible.  I am also taking donations in any form.  If you would like to donate (or trade) an item please email me at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com.  If you would like to donate a monotary value of any number please click here and you can be taken to the donations page.  All donations will go straight to the child and his/her family to help pay for the trip to the Super Bowl.  Also please follow along on Twitter for immediate updates @TwoBlueDice.

Big News and Notes

Not even 24 hours after what I believe was one of the biggest days yet in the project, things got even bigger!  I was surprised by a tweet from ESPN personality, Mark Simon, that he included my project at the end of his and Eric Karabell's nationally broadcast sports radio show "Baseball Today".  Although it was just a couple minutes at the end, I felt that I was on top of the world when I heard it.  It means so much to me that people from ESPN would even consider talking about this project.  Click here if you would like to take a listen to the recording.  If you want to skip to the part about the project, start around the 47:30 mark and you will hear it shortly there after. 

It doesn't end there either.  I had a man call me out of the blue and offer up $100 as a donation to the project.  It is the first of hopefully many donations to come.  I will use that money to cover transportation costs for the child and family or for any other costs the family may have.  You can make a donation on the right side of the page if you would like to do so!

Last, but certainly not least, my fraternity brother from college gave me a call and said that his news station, WAND Decatur, was going to be coming out and doing a story with me about the project sometime in the next week.  So in the next week or so this project will be published again in print, I will appear live on radio, and there will be a story on television.  This couldn't get much better and I can't wait for the next trade!  As always shoot me an email at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com if you have any ideas or would like to trade!  Thanks so much for all of the support and please follow along for all update on twitter @TwoBlueDice.

The Word is Spreading

There is no new trade just yet, but the word is spreading and I can feel the next one coming in soon.  My project was recently featured on the front of the sports page in the Peoria Journal Star.  I have received so much positive feed back from just one article and it is such a good feeling.  I was fortunate enough to have people around me that put me in touch with the right people to get this done.  You can read the article here.

I was also featured in a New York Mets blog.  I contacted the blog, Mets Police, a couple days ago in an effort to reach out to Mets fans about my Ike Davis glove for trade.  They were kind enough to put a posting up on their website as well about the project to drive traffic towards the glove.  That article can be read here.

Next week I will be doing a in studio interview on a radio station here in Peoria trying to spread the word about the project even more.  I can only hope that the media attention will catch fire and turn into something bigger so that I can accomplish my end goal of sending an ill child to the Super Bowl.  I may also be expanding the project shortly as well so please stay posted and as always if you have a trade that you would like to propose please email me at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com and follow along on Twitter @TwoBlueDice.

Moving On Up- Second Trade

There for a couple weeks I was thinking that nothing was going to come up.  Boy was I wrong.  I have learned to become much more patient with the process after these past couple weeks of gaining attention to the project.  Many people have started to follow the cause and I have been overwhelmed by the support.

After waiting for a couple weeks the next item has finally arrived.  Although the trader wishes to remain anonymous, I cannot thank him enough.  I traded the A-Rod Rookie card for a Game Model Ike Davis A2000 from Wilson.  Wilson makes Davis's custom gloves that he wears on the field.  While this glove is not game used it is one of very few that were ever made.  This New York Mets Infielder takes this glove out on to the field with him each day in the big leagues.  This particular glove was never sent out to him and is in mint condition with him name stitched into the side.  


I felt these last couple weeks as if the project was going to fail, but after this recent trade I know that it will be a great success.  I have been putting a lot of hard work into this whenever I can and it appears to be paying off.  I really do feel like this is going to change a kids life and I am thoroughly looking forward to the next trade.  If this item is something you are interested in trading for send me an email at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com.  You can also follow along on the Twitter account @TwoBlueDice.  Thanks for all of you supports and I hope to hear from all of you soon!

It Has Begun- First Trade

After awaiting anxiously for about a week the first trade item finally came in.  I have traded the Two Blue Dice for a 1994 Alex Rodriguez Rookie Card that is rated a 9.5/10 and in a hard casing!  Our first trade comes from Manny Munoz (@MannyTestifies).  Manny was so gracious to get this project started in trading me his card.  He does some great work with graphic design so be sure to check his stuff out and support him!

I will now be putting this card on the block for the next trade.  If you are interested in making the next trade please reach out to me at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com.  I will be more than happy to talk to you and work out the next trade to send an ill child to his/her dream of attending the Super Bowl.  Thanks again and I can't wait to hear from all of you.

The Beginning- Against The Odds

Last night I was lying in bed and thinking to myself how fortunate I am to be where I am today and how I could help somebody else that may not feel so fortunate.  I have started my career in the sports industry, working in the front office of a minor league baseball team and could not be happier.  It was always my dream to work in sports and in the last year it has become a reality.  

I knew from an early age that sports were my passion so I decided to make it my career path.  I have had dreams of going to all of the major championship games like the World Series, Super Bowl, etc.., when my team wins the big game and I know that someday I will be fortunate to experience that while working in this industry.  

Since starting my career and essentially my life, I have often thought about what I can do to help others and I have finally been inspired by another success story.  After coming across an article again that I had read several years ago titled "One Red Paperclip", I decided to use the model from that story for my own journey.  As the story goes a man traded a red paperclip over time for items of a bit larger value until he got a house.  Yes, in the end he traded a red paperclip for a real house!  To learn more about his story click here. My goal will be a bit different, as I will use mine for charity.

As I mentioned, it has been and still is my dream to go to a major championship game and one day I think I will be fortunate enough to attend one.  My goal is to grant the sports wish of a young child that is ill and may not have much more time to experience the big game.  I am on a mission to trade my "Two Blue Dice" for a trip to the 2013 Super Bowl for a very ill child.  You may ask, why dice?  To keep it simple there are many children that go through procedures each and every day against the odds.  Everyday they live is another day they beat the odds and conquer their illness.  Rolling dice to get certain number is the epitome of beating the odds so, with those very blue dice, my journey will begin. 

So here's the deal, I've got a pair of blue dice and I need to trade them away for something with a slightly higher value.  I will not be able to travel as much to make all of the transactions personal, but with the use of social media I hope I can reach a far larger market and reach my goal before the Super Bowl!  If you are interested in making a trade please email me at againsttheodds2012@gmail.com. Please help me make this possible and the dream of a child in need come true!