My Nonprofit Reviews

How AWESOME!! Really. Think of the best and coolest thing, place or time in your life. Got it? Now double, no triple that feeling and that - and that is how I felt when I was told by Molly, from this wonderful foundation that Matty McCloskey founded. The Take A Breather Foundation is truly that. The genuine charm and nature of all the good people who make this foundation thrive are all HEROES, and will always be, to me ; )

My name is Matt and I was very lucky, very fortunate and humbled to have been selected and granted an amazing long weekend in Pittsburgh for an always entertaining and tough hockey play and then back to Philly. Do you know what it was for - HOCKEY! This was a full hockey infested weekend with our hometown Philadelphia Flyers versus the famed cross state rival Pittsburgh Penguins!

My wife, Erin, and I were able to take advantage of the NHL scheduled home and home games - first in Pittsburgh, and then back at home in Philly. I have always wanted to see a Flyers game in Pittsburgh, but hadn’t until now. This was a treat no matter what happened, (shhhhh, Flyers needed to win! HaHa). Before the hopefully, chippy, fisticuff, hard nosed Orange and Black Pen’s game, we took full advantage of what the beautiful city of Pittsburgh had to offer. We ate at the Hofbrauhaus and Speckled Egg, and walked around the city taking in the picturesque views. We definitely took our time and enjoyed several functions taking place with and around the downtown areas of the city. Erin and I spent time at the National Aviary, in where we saw some of the most beautiful birds we’ve ever seen. Have you ever seen a Steller’s Sea Eagle? Look it up. Majestic wouldn’t you say? A bird so magnificent, and powerful - from Russia. The aviary had two and we heard a story about one that had flown from Russia to Alaska, down to Texas, up to Maine, then to New Foundland. So cool. We went to my first college, La Roche, for a craft show. Brought back some fond memories in where I played ball for them as a red devil and a red hawk. Very cool. They are now a university and in the NCAA. Wow, how time goes by quickly. Please remember, savor the moments, keep livin’ happy daily and enjoy all that life has to offer. Smile. It is contagious, I promise.

Now, to the game. Unreal. Erin and I walked the concourse, enjoyed the atmosphere of people who were the Pen’s fans, (little did they know the smiling and laughter would turn around). We sat in the Lexus Loge, with rolling chairs, enough room to stretch out comfortably. A wonderful waitress, Jess, who took the food orders from us and the people within the row we sat in. Warm-ups were great to watch, with our boys in orange to be welcomed by the home crowd’s boo’s. They were in a zone and not phased. They had one objective - play hard and get that W. Errson in net, gonna be an awesome game. Sydney Crosby, the brilliant hockey player, but always will be our “hated nemesis”, was on the ice and not a ‘scratch’ with a hangnail, for this game. One of the fellas, Matt, from the Penguins staff, handed me a bag from the team, with some great items. My face glowed. We spoke for a little, and then…game time. Erin and I were focused and glued to the ice. This is the first hame game for the Pens since goaltender Tristan Jarry scored a goal. (…not to rain on his parade but Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall did it first, and twice). We plan on letting the air out of his tires on this day. The game was evenly played in the first period, then back and forth with scoring in the second and third periods. Then, 3 on 3. Tough play - no goals scored. Now, the shootout. Errson pumped, negated all the shots by Guentzel, Crosby and Rust. He had the momentum and passed it on to Flyers veteran “Coots”, (Sean Couturier), who was the only goal scorer in the OT shootout - a significant goal a significant Win vs. these dreaded, heavily talented, Pittsburgh Penguins. We took that tough, hard scraped win to the bank and now really looked forward to the next pitted game, on home ice, back home in Philly on Monday December 4th. The fandom has continued, and our Fans, well, we will welcome those Penguins, with a “warm & fuzzy welcome” —- NOT.

Now, the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Club, led by Torts and the veterans on the ice, are home. The Flyers faithful are, and always will be, there to give the boys mad props for their win in Pittsburgh, and wish them the strength to make it happen again - at home, in front of the best,
working class, hockey fans in the league. Always there to give a true spirit of how our club is doing. (Oh yes, you better believe it. The players know and feel exactly how we feel when the games are played - good play or bad play - we just want 100% effort everyday, every game. Not too much to ask, right?) Erin and I got to the Center early sporting our clubs colors of orange and black, with sweatshirt and jersey. We met with Flyers personnel and another family at the Flyers Customer Relations desk. Our destination was the Flyers bench! Erin and I were handed Flyers bags, in which, my bag had an orange and black jersey of Cam Atkinson #89! He had signed it too…Holy smokes…pretty sweet!! We all fitted our lids and followed our rep through the mazes and tunnel to the faithful bench where our beloved players rest for about 30-75 seconds, between each play/line change. On our path we saw one of the dreaded Penguin players, I don’t even want to say the name, doing short wind sprints to get ready for the game. I was thinking about a hopeful ‘massacre’ (game-play) that our boys will do to our yellow and black opponent on the ice this night. Then, we made a turn, and saw our boys loosening up as relaxed, and confident as they could be. A pair shooting hoops and a circle of 8 or 9 juggling the soccer ball, with foot and body, for the coordination and body. The fellas seemed loose and fun, but we know, and they know, any game against the dreaded Penguins, is a chippy one. Our record at home is tilted the other way when the Pens are in town. We entered the rink and enjoyed the runway where the Flyers come out to play! We enjoyed the ambiance of the Center from the players bench. Pictures were taken, no smile left a face. It was truly magic. Then, the boo’s came out - because the visitors hit the ice for warm-up’s. From our bench - the pile of practice pucks hit the ice - our players now took to the ice. Simply incredible. Awesome. We kept our distance and did not interfere with the players during their warm-up’s, but, several players did give us some love and fist pounds while on the ice. Pretty sweet I must say. Our time on the bench ended with the last player to leave the ice. Now to our seats. I have never been able to walk down as far as we did this night. The rows of fans behind us, the sacred Flyer ice and Goaltender that evening, Carter Hart, in front of us. So awesome. A lot of glass pounding hits in front of us by the checked players, and by us fans when our boys made great plays or unbelievable saves! Those seats are awesome. We took full advantage of being in seats 3 & 4. Kept them warm for whose they are, grateful to be there, and hopefully left the luck in them for future Flyer wins. The game was a tough, hard fought one. The score was 1-1 with the boys having lit a fire to overtime. One of the former Phantoms players, Tyler Foerster, lit the lamp for the only Flyers goal in regulation. I hate to say it, but, ‘Syd the Kid’ lit it as well for the Pens. Now, another overtime. 3 on 3. We had the passion. We know our team can and will make it happen, again. And with that, TK, Coots and Sanheim on the ice made that happen - AGAIN. Coots with the winning goal, TK and Travis with the assists! How sweet was that?! We had the best view, saw every play happen, and the OT goal happen right square in front of us!
This game, this time, unreal. Felt like a kid again - I’ve never stopped acting like one, but now I have felt like one again. These seats are now history for us, but the memories from this game and the game we had in Pittsburgh, are fresh in my mind. The pictures, screenshots from our time in Pittsburgh and home in Philly will be with me forever. I appreciate everything that was done for Erin and I. After 23 years on the force, and having to retire, this “breather” came in at the right time for me. I am so very honored to have so many people working their butts off to make days, such as mine, happen - and for others with CF. Whatever I can do, I will do. Whoever I need to make smile, I will. Let’s everybody, play hard everyday. Give it 100% everyday. Just make sure to stop every now and again, allow yourself some time, reflect a little and remember those special moments for yourself, loved one’s and others. Erin and I want to thank Matty for his genuine thoughts wayback when, and the start-up of this awesome foundation. Take A Breather now flourishes, as it should, with so many caring, loving and giving people. From my heart to yours - much happiness everyday - good health and “THANK YOU”.

All the Best and with Love,

Matty J