Fundraising With Football: The Meadows Turkey Bowl

Mike Meadows and Alan Mowrey

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means preparations are well underway for the Meadows Turkey Bowl. The 25th annual football game in the backyard of Mike Meadows home in Medina is more than just an excuse for a bunch of guys to get out of the house on Thanksgiving morning.  It's a fundraiser, with the proceeds split between the St. Vincent de Paul Society and another designated charity every year.

This year's designated charity is the Pete Radke family.  Pete died last June while saving the life of a teenage swimmer who was struggling in the waves off Huntington Beach in Bay Village.  His wife is now raising their four children herself.

While this year's event is the 25th for Meadows, it's the first for Alan Mowery.  The Cleveland Gladiators executive is not only leading a team, he's getting the Arena Football League team involved by offering tickets to Gladiators games for donations to the cause.

Last year, players raised $158,000.  This year, 48 players will raise a minimum of $1,000 each, but many will raise much more in what Meadows describes as "the game within the game."

The State Of The State: Governor Kasich's Preview

Governor Kasich delivered a preview of his State of the State address on February 13th, at the annual Lincoln Day Celebration thrown by the Cuyahoga County Republican Party.

Here is an excerpt from his speech, preceded by a session with the assembled press, during which the Governor discusses plans to try and attract one of the political conventions to Ohio in 2016.

Governor Kasich has chosen Medina for this year's State of the State Address location, in honor of retiring House Speaker William Batchelder.