Help Me Receive the Day with the Chicago Blackhawks I Earned
Help Me Receive the Day with the Chicago Blackhawks I Earned
The Issue
“Hey now hey now. Don’t Dream It’s Over”. You may recognize those lyrics from the popular Crowded House. For me, they have found a new purpose towards trying to receive 1 day back with a unique once in a lifetime dream that every day for 6 years, I know I have earned, but lost because of a freak global event and have not gotten back. Please take some time to read my story about who I am, who I once was, and the once in a lifetime experience I had truly earned for myself that I had taken away from me that I have spent time trying to get 1 day to have back. However, my efforts to have the day I earned with something that meant so much to me have been unsuccessful to this date.
◦ I am a native of Libertyville Illinois, 30 Miles North of Chicago. Sports were a staple all throughout my childhood. In my sophomore year of high school, I walked onto Libertyville High School's Football Program, despite no prior experience. There, I learned many values of working hard for something you dream of, and taking small steps to build yourself. Eventually those working values led me to leading my team to a State Championship Football Game, and later, a spot as a student at the University of Iowa.
◦ My sports background and the upbringing I learned at Libertyville led me to declaring a major with Iowa’s award winning Sport and Recreation Management Program. Where I became a Dean’s List Student, and never finished an academic semester at the University of Iowa below a 3.1 GPA. All while handling a busy schedule to participate extensively in my major, and live the Hawkeye life to its fullest while making Iowa City my home.
◦ While at The University of Iowa, I gained real world sports experiences. Such as working athletic events, and learning social media strategies for the University of Iowa Athletic Department, promotional activities for the Iowa Speedway, and attending conventions and conferences for Sport and Recreation Management students from places in Minor and Independent League markets in Davenport to Big League markets in Cleveland and anywhere in between.
◦ Before turning 22, I also attended field trips to network with industry leaders. My field trips took me to cities such as Indianapolis, Memphis Nashville, St. Louis, and Des Moines.
◦ My greatest joys from those field trips were the simple things that were so unique. Including tours of the Indianapolis Colts practice facility, the Tennessee Titans locker room and football field, the Memphis Grizzlies locker room, a guided tour of the St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium, and so much more with the bonding experiences which came with life as a student with the University of Iowa Sport and Recreation Management Department.
◦ On March 1st, 2020, my senior year at the University of Iowa, I was accepted into my most exciting University of Iowa led sports experience yet. Which was one I happily accepted. A chance for me to live in Chicago for 4 weeks in the Summer of 2020 to do the most advanced field work yet for my hometown Chicago Blackhawks.
◦ The unique sports business perks I was going to receive were the best yet. Including touring the Big Ten Network Headquarters, skating on the Blackhawks practice ice, visiting the teams facilities, where it was a possibility I could have gotten to hold or get pictures with the Stanley Cup as my previous classmates had, introduce my Iowa Native classmates to Chicago style pizza, and so much more. Except this time, everything from projects, field work, and everything in between, was going to be something related to my Chicago upbringing.
◦ Except my optimism about my dream sports experience, only lasted 10 days. As we all know, only 10 days after I was accepted into the program I worked so hard to get a spot in, everything came to a screeching halt on March 11th, 2020. With the pandemic causing a pause in the sports industry. Only a few months later, my program was moved to virtual. While I was still grateful to have my experience, the reality would sink in hard for a kid from Libertyville, Illinois. I would never make it to Chicago at all that summer. Unfortunately, that became the case. Which to this day, is still a very hard truth to accept.
◦ I was still very grateful for what I got. However, as I value real world experiences, it hurt me very much because circumstances outside of my control ate up my biggest experiences I worked tremendously hard in my studies to receive. I was only 22 years old at the time I had all of that taken away from me. In a young mind like my own, it was very hard for me to take and accept. I had lived with symptoms of severe depression earlier in my life. However, in the back half of 2020, those symptoms had unfortunately relapsed. Playing golf, a summer hobby which I started while in college, was also difficult for me to do that summer. As my in-person experiences I earned with the Chicago Blackhawks that I suddenly wouldn't experience, was always on my mind.
◦ Like many other 2020 graduates in my field, I became displaced with finding a job. I had struggled to find my next opportunities within sports and couldn’t get anything rolling. However, in June 2022, with my growing desires to travel, and with encouragement of my closest friends, I wound up accepting work in the field of commercial aviation. Where I have since been based in Denver Colorado working an Airport Operations role for United Airlines.
◦ When I first accepted my new line of work, I thought it meant the permanent end of anything I’d ever do in the field of sports. And maybe the end of my Hawkeye Life. Except, that has proven to be far from the case.
◦ I have rebounded myself in both ways. By taking it upon myself to volunteer my time in the fall to work as a high school football referee for the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), where I have done work for youth in my sport in schools throughout Denver and the Suburbs. And perhaps most notably, wanting to still have a tremendous once in a lifetime experience in the sports industry, I walked on by myself to do volunteer work for the NFL and Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee in Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58 in February 2024. My application to be in Las Vegas that weekend was accepted as I demonstrated exceptional service capabilities throughout my time as a United Airlines employee, and more so, my days doing extensive work within the sports field at The University of Iowa. Which the committee was exceptionally pleased with in my interview for a Super Bowl position.
◦ During my last 4 years living in Denver, I have surprisingly continued my involvement with my beloved Alma mater. From attending university sponsored events and watch parties with the local Denver University of Iowa Club, even joining in on my visits home to Chicago when I can with Chicago’s chapter, and most of all, using my flight benefits to make trips back to the State of Iowa. Which includes my best trip of the year, and I say this despite my extensive international travels I’ve had. A Hawkeye Football Weekend at Kinnick Stadium, which I have reduced my own wages for all to buy extra vacation days to ensure I get extra time off to spend a weekend or two each fall with my Alma mater in the Hawkeye Way we all know to do.
◦ With the amount of dreams I have been able to make come true for myself, a couple of years ago, I realized something. I cannot let unique experiences I earned with a hometown team of mine just slip away for several years. I’ve gotta go for it. And I need to finish the job. Especially after my visits to Montréal have helped me love hockey again.
◦ Over the past 2 years, I have tried reaching out, and sharing my story about what I want to get back the most. For me to have my 1 day with the Chicago Blackhawks that everyday for 6 years, I know I’ve earned. By getting my chance to visit as many team facilities as I can, maybe experience life on a Gameday operation for 1 day, and live up the Blackhawks experience in Chicago as much as I can, or whatever else I may be able to do or visit. My mission has been simple. Get my 1 day to see as much facilities, regain some of the fun perks of the Chicago Blackhawks experience I was going to receive in the Summer of 2020, and just see as much as I would have if none of this with the pandemic ever happened.
◦ I just want 1 day for me to be able to say, I did it. As it’s still painful to this day that I’ve lived everyday for 6 years knowing I received unique once in a lifetime experiences I know I’ve earned. But for 6 years, the job just hasn’t been done and I have felt I have unfinished business.
◦ However, progress on this has become stagnant. Or I have been misunderstood by some when I’m trying to share my story with what I’m trying to get back to me. As I’ve always known I was part of an unfortunate circumstance of a freak world event beyond my control which caused me to lose incredible experiences.
◦ I know my career path and future dreams have since changed compared to my college days. I know I’ve made mistakes in my professional life and past experiences at points. However, I know at this point, my biggest mistake is if I keep letting my 1 day I know I’ve earned slip by me for years without trying to keep fighting to get 1 day for. And I feel I’m running out of options to make my 1 day I’ve earned true.
◦ When my travels took me to Australia for my 27th birthday in April 2025, the music lover in me stopped by the Australian Music Vault in Melbourne. There, I learned of a song by Aussie rock band Crowded House called Don’t Dream It’s Over. Which opened my heart to different ways of hoping for dreams that maybe don’t seem to have much hope.
◦ Today, all I ask for you is to help me not dream my 1 day with the Chicago Blackhawks is over. Please help stand with me for understanding of my story, what happened to me, and help this kid from Libertyville Illinois get 1 day he has known he’s earned with his hometown team.
◦ Once we win and I get my day to visit and see as much as I can with the Blackhawks, with my love for releasing my own music and covering songs, I will give the Blackhawks the gift of me covering Chelsea Dagger, the team's goal horn song, on my YouTube channel.
◦ Thank you for standing with me, and understanding my story.
30
The Issue
“Hey now hey now. Don’t Dream It’s Over”. You may recognize those lyrics from the popular Crowded House. For me, they have found a new purpose towards trying to receive 1 day back with a unique once in a lifetime dream that every day for 6 years, I know I have earned, but lost because of a freak global event and have not gotten back. Please take some time to read my story about who I am, who I once was, and the once in a lifetime experience I had truly earned for myself that I had taken away from me that I have spent time trying to get 1 day to have back. However, my efforts to have the day I earned with something that meant so much to me have been unsuccessful to this date.
◦ I am a native of Libertyville Illinois, 30 Miles North of Chicago. Sports were a staple all throughout my childhood. In my sophomore year of high school, I walked onto Libertyville High School's Football Program, despite no prior experience. There, I learned many values of working hard for something you dream of, and taking small steps to build yourself. Eventually those working values led me to leading my team to a State Championship Football Game, and later, a spot as a student at the University of Iowa.
◦ My sports background and the upbringing I learned at Libertyville led me to declaring a major with Iowa’s award winning Sport and Recreation Management Program. Where I became a Dean’s List Student, and never finished an academic semester at the University of Iowa below a 3.1 GPA. All while handling a busy schedule to participate extensively in my major, and live the Hawkeye life to its fullest while making Iowa City my home.
◦ While at The University of Iowa, I gained real world sports experiences. Such as working athletic events, and learning social media strategies for the University of Iowa Athletic Department, promotional activities for the Iowa Speedway, and attending conventions and conferences for Sport and Recreation Management students from places in Minor and Independent League markets in Davenport to Big League markets in Cleveland and anywhere in between.
◦ Before turning 22, I also attended field trips to network with industry leaders. My field trips took me to cities such as Indianapolis, Memphis Nashville, St. Louis, and Des Moines.
◦ My greatest joys from those field trips were the simple things that were so unique. Including tours of the Indianapolis Colts practice facility, the Tennessee Titans locker room and football field, the Memphis Grizzlies locker room, a guided tour of the St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium, and so much more with the bonding experiences which came with life as a student with the University of Iowa Sport and Recreation Management Department.
◦ On March 1st, 2020, my senior year at the University of Iowa, I was accepted into my most exciting University of Iowa led sports experience yet. Which was one I happily accepted. A chance for me to live in Chicago for 4 weeks in the Summer of 2020 to do the most advanced field work yet for my hometown Chicago Blackhawks.
◦ The unique sports business perks I was going to receive were the best yet. Including touring the Big Ten Network Headquarters, skating on the Blackhawks practice ice, visiting the teams facilities, where it was a possibility I could have gotten to hold or get pictures with the Stanley Cup as my previous classmates had, introduce my Iowa Native classmates to Chicago style pizza, and so much more. Except this time, everything from projects, field work, and everything in between, was going to be something related to my Chicago upbringing.
◦ Except my optimism about my dream sports experience, only lasted 10 days. As we all know, only 10 days after I was accepted into the program I worked so hard to get a spot in, everything came to a screeching halt on March 11th, 2020. With the pandemic causing a pause in the sports industry. Only a few months later, my program was moved to virtual. While I was still grateful to have my experience, the reality would sink in hard for a kid from Libertyville, Illinois. I would never make it to Chicago at all that summer. Unfortunately, that became the case. Which to this day, is still a very hard truth to accept.
◦ I was still very grateful for what I got. However, as I value real world experiences, it hurt me very much because circumstances outside of my control ate up my biggest experiences I worked tremendously hard in my studies to receive. I was only 22 years old at the time I had all of that taken away from me. In a young mind like my own, it was very hard for me to take and accept. I had lived with symptoms of severe depression earlier in my life. However, in the back half of 2020, those symptoms had unfortunately relapsed. Playing golf, a summer hobby which I started while in college, was also difficult for me to do that summer. As my in-person experiences I earned with the Chicago Blackhawks that I suddenly wouldn't experience, was always on my mind.
◦ Like many other 2020 graduates in my field, I became displaced with finding a job. I had struggled to find my next opportunities within sports and couldn’t get anything rolling. However, in June 2022, with my growing desires to travel, and with encouragement of my closest friends, I wound up accepting work in the field of commercial aviation. Where I have since been based in Denver Colorado working an Airport Operations role for United Airlines.
◦ When I first accepted my new line of work, I thought it meant the permanent end of anything I’d ever do in the field of sports. And maybe the end of my Hawkeye Life. Except, that has proven to be far from the case.
◦ I have rebounded myself in both ways. By taking it upon myself to volunteer my time in the fall to work as a high school football referee for the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), where I have done work for youth in my sport in schools throughout Denver and the Suburbs. And perhaps most notably, wanting to still have a tremendous once in a lifetime experience in the sports industry, I walked on by myself to do volunteer work for the NFL and Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee in Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58 in February 2024. My application to be in Las Vegas that weekend was accepted as I demonstrated exceptional service capabilities throughout my time as a United Airlines employee, and more so, my days doing extensive work within the sports field at The University of Iowa. Which the committee was exceptionally pleased with in my interview for a Super Bowl position.
◦ During my last 4 years living in Denver, I have surprisingly continued my involvement with my beloved Alma mater. From attending university sponsored events and watch parties with the local Denver University of Iowa Club, even joining in on my visits home to Chicago when I can with Chicago’s chapter, and most of all, using my flight benefits to make trips back to the State of Iowa. Which includes my best trip of the year, and I say this despite my extensive international travels I’ve had. A Hawkeye Football Weekend at Kinnick Stadium, which I have reduced my own wages for all to buy extra vacation days to ensure I get extra time off to spend a weekend or two each fall with my Alma mater in the Hawkeye Way we all know to do.
◦ With the amount of dreams I have been able to make come true for myself, a couple of years ago, I realized something. I cannot let unique experiences I earned with a hometown team of mine just slip away for several years. I’ve gotta go for it. And I need to finish the job. Especially after my visits to Montréal have helped me love hockey again.
◦ Over the past 2 years, I have tried reaching out, and sharing my story about what I want to get back the most. For me to have my 1 day with the Chicago Blackhawks that everyday for 6 years, I know I’ve earned. By getting my chance to visit as many team facilities as I can, maybe experience life on a Gameday operation for 1 day, and live up the Blackhawks experience in Chicago as much as I can, or whatever else I may be able to do or visit. My mission has been simple. Get my 1 day to see as much facilities, regain some of the fun perks of the Chicago Blackhawks experience I was going to receive in the Summer of 2020, and just see as much as I would have if none of this with the pandemic ever happened.
◦ I just want 1 day for me to be able to say, I did it. As it’s still painful to this day that I’ve lived everyday for 6 years knowing I received unique once in a lifetime experiences I know I’ve earned. But for 6 years, the job just hasn’t been done and I have felt I have unfinished business.
◦ However, progress on this has become stagnant. Or I have been misunderstood by some when I’m trying to share my story with what I’m trying to get back to me. As I’ve always known I was part of an unfortunate circumstance of a freak world event beyond my control which caused me to lose incredible experiences.
◦ I know my career path and future dreams have since changed compared to my college days. I know I’ve made mistakes in my professional life and past experiences at points. However, I know at this point, my biggest mistake is if I keep letting my 1 day I know I’ve earned slip by me for years without trying to keep fighting to get 1 day for. And I feel I’m running out of options to make my 1 day I’ve earned true.
◦ When my travels took me to Australia for my 27th birthday in April 2025, the music lover in me stopped by the Australian Music Vault in Melbourne. There, I learned of a song by Aussie rock band Crowded House called Don’t Dream It’s Over. Which opened my heart to different ways of hoping for dreams that maybe don’t seem to have much hope.
◦ Today, all I ask for you is to help me not dream my 1 day with the Chicago Blackhawks is over. Please help stand with me for understanding of my story, what happened to me, and help this kid from Libertyville Illinois get 1 day he has known he’s earned with his hometown team.
◦ Once we win and I get my day to visit and see as much as I can with the Blackhawks, with my love for releasing my own music and covering songs, I will give the Blackhawks the gift of me covering Chelsea Dagger, the team's goal horn song, on my YouTube channel.
◦ Thank you for standing with me, and understanding my story.
30
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Petition created on June 17, 2026