The Blue Jackets Are Coming!

Courtesy of WCLT, we are offering 4 tickets
to the March 20th Blue Jackets Game

Courtesy of WCLT/T-100, we are able to offer 4 tickets to the March 20th Columbus Blue Jackets game against the New Jersey Devils.


The game takes place at 5 pm and the seats are in the "lower bowl" which means pretty close to the action.


One of the first things you notice about hockey is how big the ice surface is (85' x 200').  


And then you notice how 12 players seem to fill it right up.  One minute they are all clustered around the goalie and then, in a flash, they can be down at the other end and back again.


It's also hard not to be impressed by Stinger, the Jackets' mascot bug--the hardest working insect in professional hockey.  He (I think he's a "he") also seems to be everywhere at once.  Even though he's a bug, you never think of him as a pest.  More of a scamp, really.


One thing is for certain, no matter the final score, you and three friends will have a terrific time at Nationwide Arena, provided you are the winning bidder.

Get the Big Picture

Photo from Tiny Portraits

I have a lot of pictures of my thumb.  I never set out to capture it, but it always seems to creep into the picture.


Perhaps because I know how easy it is to take a bad picture I really appreciate people who know what they are doing and who can make great photographs.


A good portrait is not easy to pull off, especially if your subject is uncomfortable and squirming around.  (High probability of thumbs in frame there.)  It's a job best left to professionals and have we got just the person for you.


Molly Conomy, of Tiny Portraits Photography has generously donated a $200 gift certificate for a portrait session.  Check out her website and you will get a good idea of the excellent work that she does.  (She also does pet portraits.)

Our Sponsors Are Measurably Different

We learned this week that Licking Memorial Health Systems has joined the ranks of sponsors for this year's auction.


Licking Memorial continues to be a generous supporter of Mental Health America and many other community organizations in Licking County.


We are grateful for their sponsorship, but more so for their partnership in working for the wellness of all our friends and neighbors.

Polypotamia Was NOT A Cambodian Dictator!

In 2010, once and future Java & Jazz host, Brian Unger hosted a show on the History Channel based on the book, How the States Got Their Shapes.  

The program looks at the many different arguments and eventual compromises that resulted in the map that we have today.

Planned as a one-time special, the program was well-received and is now being produced as a weekly series that should air later this year.

Here's your chance to see the original program and learn where the state of Polypotamia might have been.  (I wonder what their state university mascot might have been....)

Up for bid at this year's auction, is a DVD copy of the special provided by Mr. Unger and The History Channel.

You Really Really Wanted to Go

New Orleans in early January sounded like the ideal post-holidays getaway, but then there was that project due at work and not quite enough left in the rainy day fund.  


Now, thanks to Paddy Kutz, MHA's own ultimate sports fan, you can make your friends and neighbors green with envy as you have all the evidence you will need to make them think you went.


Included in the package is everything from the official souvenir program, a pair of collectible tickets, a pair of T-shirts, an official OSU Sugar Bowl hoodie and a pair of bam bams.


Also in the package are next day editions of the Times-Picayune, Newark Advocate, the OSU Lantern and the sports section from USA Today all trumpeting the Buckeye victory.


And don't you know that while you were in New Orleans you also had time to take in a basketball game between the New Orleans Hornets and the Golden State Warriors and you will have the tickets and game day program to prove it.


But it wasn't all about sports.  Between games you had time to explore one of the country's most colorful cities including the storied Bourbon Street where you collected more than 20 sets of beads!  (We don't even want to know what you had to do to get those....)


Bragging rights in a box are available to the high bidder at this year's Java & Jazz.

The Energy Cooperative Signs On as Sponsor

We are pleased to announce that, in addition to donating an electric grill to our Java & Jazz benefit auction, The Energy Cooperative has agreed to co-sponsor the event.

Confirmation came earlier this afternoon and Paddy Kutz,  Mental Health America's Executive Director, couldn't be happier.

"We are so blessed to have so many supporters in the business community who see value in what we are doing and who continue to support us.  The Energy Cooperative has been a generous supporter of MHA through the years."

The Great Outdoors Smells Like Chicken

Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote that "in the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."

But, as playwright David Mamet wrote, "things change."  

And as that young man grows up, his thoughts turn again to thoughts of cooking outside and the many secret ingredients to be assembled into a killer barbecue sauce.  (Think peanut butter.)

Thanks to our friends at The Energy Cooperative, we will be able to tickle the fancy of one high-bidding would-be griller with this Dimplex PowerChef Metro outdoor grill.

The Metro delivers full size power in a compact, go-anywhere design. This electric grill features a durable weatherproof black matte finish, large removable drip tray, manual control for simple, precise cooking, and EvenSear dual element cooking system that prevents cold spots. With this Dimplex PowerChef electric grill, the entire grill surface will reach a 650 degree searing temperature which means this grill cooks as much as a grill twice its size! Because it is electric, the Dimplex PowerChef Metro is perfect for apartments, condos, and balconies that do not allow gas grills.

Say Hello to Park National Bank

We are pleased to announce that Park has joined our growing list of sponsors for this year's Java & Jazz benefit auction.

Park National Bank continues to be a wonderful community partner for our organization and many others throughout the community.  We value their support.

If you are a Park customer, please let them know how much you appreciate their support of good mental health.

Never Too Early to Buy Tickets

We have updated this site and the MHA home page so that the early birds among you can purchase your tickets for this year's Auction.


Christmas is over, New Year's Resolutions are already a memory and so the next thing to look forward to is Java & Jazz.  


Be the first to get your tickets--even before the invitations hit the mail by clicking on the PayPal button on the right side of this page.


We'll see you at Java & Jazz 2011.

How to Win a Brand New Car

This 2011 Toyota Camry LE Could Be Yours,
Courtesy of Coughlin Automotive Group

Every ticket to the 2011 Java & Jazz benefit auction will include an entry to participate in a drawing for a chance at this Toyota Camry.

The person whose name is drawn will be given a stack of 40 envelopes to open.  

Inside each envelope is a symbol for one of 4 prizes.  

• The Camry
• $5,000 in cash
• $1,000 in cash
• Mystery Prize

The winner keeps opening envelopes until 5 matching symbols are revealed indicating the prize that they have won.

We sincerely appreciate the generosity of Coughlin Automotive Group for their sponsorship of this drawing.

Check Out Our Sponsors!

Events like Java & Jazz are not possible without the generous support of a lot of businesses, organizations and individuals.  


You have met some of them who have donated items to the auction, on our "Meet Our Sponsors" tab, you will see others who are helping behind the scenes to make our event unforgettable.


And if you have the opportunity, please let them know that you appreciate their support for Java & Jazz and the work of Mental Health America of Licking County.

Good News Is Coming

Later this week, we hope to have some exciting news regarding our upcoming auction.


Check back.