Blue Jackets Foundation celebrates spring with annual CannonBall

Like any good party, CannonBall had the right theme, with Thursday's annual fundraiser for the Blue Jackets Foundation celebrating seasonal rebirth with its Swing into Spring theme.
And while CannonBall, presented by Bartha, wasn't a birthday party, there also was a gift that served as the highlight of the shindig. On a night that raised more than $300,000 for the foundation's efforts to support the health and wellness of children in Central Ohio, the
foundation announced a $250,000 donation to the City of Whitehall
to fund a community street hockey rink.

For the working-class community on Columbus' southeast side, city administrator Zach Woodruff said the impact of project -- which will be placed in John Bishop Park, which is within walking distance of three Whitehall schools -- will be exceptional.
"Growing up in Whitehall, I can't overstate how important this will be for our community," Woodruff said. "To be able to have this amenity in our main park, in John Bishop Park, to be able to have children of all ages, whether they're pre-K or elementary school or junior high, be able to walk over and utilize this resource for free and to be able to fall in love with and learn the game of hockey without the financial barriers that ice hockey sometimes presents, it's just going to be transformational for the community."
In addition to funding the rink project, the Blue Jackets Foundation will provide the city of Whitehall with resources to establish hockey programming in the community, including Try Hockey for Free clinics, hockey curriculum, staff training and equipment. The Blue Jackets also will work with the city to provide no-cost education resources that address STEM learning, academic achievement and provide a hockey-themed wellness curriculum in their schools.
"It's a huge step for the foundation to really make an impact in these communities," said Katie Matney, executive director of the Blue Jackets Foundation. "It's a huge collaboration with the city of Whitehall that we're really excited about. Our big focus is reducing barriers to the sport, and we know that we're going to be able to do that for a lot of kids that we hope are able to grow in the game."
The rink is the second the foundation has built, joining the Thomas James Knox Memorial Hockey Rink in Westerville that opened in 2018.
Woodruff described it as a hand-in-glove match for the Whitehall community, where the median household income of $42,951 in 2021 according to the U.S. Census Bureau is below the Franklin County average of $62,352.
"The idea that you don't have to worry about can you pay the rink fees or can you pay for hockey skates, but really just show up with your shoes and be able to fall in love with the game, we know the positive impact it will have in our community," Woodruff said.
The announcement highlighted the annual CannonBall party, which returned after a year's hiatus and serves as the foundation's biggest fundraiser each season. The CBJ Foundation raises money each year to provide grants in its four pillar areas of focus -- pediatric cancer, youth health and wellness, education through literacy and youth hockey -- and since its inception has raised more than $12 million for the Columbus community.
The Swing into Spring theme at this year's CannonBall featured vibrant spring outfits highlighted by floral arrangements and social media photo opportunities. A silent auction allowed fans to bid on unique CBJ merchandise, and stations around the downtown Hilton hotel ballroom included candy for attendees as well as a literal swing for photos.
"It's such a thrill," Matney said of being able to stage CannonBall after having to miss 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. "To be able to come back with it and enjoy springtime and fresh flowers, it just feels appropriate for this time to be able to come back and support the foundation and children at the same time."
As part of the on-stage program that culminated in the announcement of the rink donation, Blue Jackets radio voice Bob McElligott spoke to three members of the Columbus hockey community who highlighted how the foundation's work benefits Central Ohio.
Blue Jackets center Sean Kuraly spoke of his experiences growing up in Central Ohio and playing for the AAA Blue Jackets program, a grant partner of the foundation that has launched Kuraly as well as teammates Jack Roslovic and Carson Meyer to the NHL. Ayo Adeniye, a product of both the AAA Blue Jackets and grant partner Columbus Ice Hockey Club, showed off the NCAA Division III championship trophy he now owns after winning it this season with Adrian College in Michigan.
But the most emotional moment came when Joe Plançon spoke of the work the foundation does in the realm of pediatric cancer. His son, Sully, was diagnosed with pediatric kidney cancer in August 2004 shortly after birth and required care at Nationwide Children's Hospital, with the CBJ community rallying around the family. Now at Olentangy Liberty High School, Plancon is fully healthy and helped lead the Patriots to the regular season title in the Capital Hockey Conference.
"You're looking at a person who has benefitted from having you all here," Plançon said. "You all do not understand what you do for families like ours."
In the end, a lot of good came from people coming together to have a good time.
"It's fun," said Kuraly, who was attending his first CannonBall. "I'm a little bit of a new guy at this, but it's a great event to raise a lot of money and awareness for youth sports and getting kids into sports while supporting hockey and pediatric cancer causes."