H2H Shout Out

I'm a little bit late with this but it has really taken more time than I thought for everything to sink in and to get back in the swing of what is normal.

Being a part of Herm 2 Hockeytown was more than I ever imagined it would be. Far beyond my wildest dreams.

When this all started out on A2Y, I had no doubt that we'd raise enough money to get Herm to Detroit for a game. I also knew we'd raise some extra for Children's Hospital of Michigan. I didn't realize we'd manage to raise over $5300, although I never should have doubted the power of Red Wings fans (and Michael Petrella of The Production Line who, through some awesome fundraising innovation, got everyone involved in a fun and exciting way).

The entire weekend was a great success, and the credit for that goes to every single person involved in H2H. Everyone who donated money to bring Herm here, everyone who donated to Children's Hospital, everyone who helped plan the event in any way, everyone who attended, and everyone who wished they could and cheered us on. I can't thank you all enough. The Detroit Red Wings were beyond accommodating and I am so thankful to the entire organization for helping Herm achieve some of his dreams (and well, me too).

To all of you that I met and to those of you I did not get to spend enough time with, I can't wait until we see each other again. I was delighted to meet each of you. It's pretty awesome to hang out with fellow crazy fans. Makes one feel normal.

To Chris Hollis, Mike Serven, Ellen Manuszak, Michael Petrella, Matt Saler, Gabriel Porras, Jenn Schwab, Tyler Devereaux, Catherine Peters, Jeff Archer, Lauren Ruhland, and everyone who helped with the planning and execution of the event, I love you guys. I am deeply honored to have had the pleasure of working with you and to have built lasting friendships with each of you has been extraordinary. I wasn't prepared for how much I would miss you. I'm glad we're doing it again next year.

To Guilherme Calciolari - Being able to watch this event unfold alongside you has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. From the mini tour of the Joe Louis Arena to meeting Darren Helm in the locker room post game, it was quite a ride. Thank you so much for letting me share in the joy of it all. I hope it was everything you dreamed of.

To Paul Kukla and Bill Houlihan, thank you for giving us a place where such a crazy idea was not not really that out there and for helping us grow it into the amazing thing it became.

Other people said this far more eloquently. Mostly, I just wanted to say thank you. To all of you.