Ed Vesely

Thanks to all of the ZONI members who helped recruit at various Sectional and Supersectional matches this fall. The numbers are still coming in, but at just a couple of sites, we had 10 existing officials express interest in joining ZONI as well as 15 people who were interested in becoming new officials. Great job, Cindy P., Ron L., and all of the others who helped out!

Elections for the next school year were held at the Sunday, May 6 meeting. Thanks to the outgoing members of the existing Board for their service to the organization (Mark Trapp, President, and Darnell Jones, Member at Large).

Congratulations to the 2012-13 ZONI Executive Board:

• President Looie Green
• Vice President Kevin Helmick
• Secretary/Treasurer Stan Wiedeman
• Member at Large Mark Febonio
• Member at Large Cindy Panagiotaros

ZONI Official Joe Boshold was in the right place at the right time recently. During his daughter’s softball game, the third base coach collapsed with a heart attack. Joe performed CPR and an athletic trainer used an AED to shock the coach’s heart. Doctors told the coach’s wife that the CPR and AED saved his life.

Joe was recognized at the Sunday, May 6 ZONI meeting for his heroic actions. President Mark Trapp presented Joe with a plaque in front of a standing ovation.

For a full article, please see the account in the Daily Herald.

The 11th Whistle for a Cause Volleyball Officials Clinic will be held from 9 AM – 1 PM on Saturday, March 10, at Niles West High School in Skokie. Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase volleyball equipment for area high schools that lack even the most basic equipment (such as balls and nets) for their volleyball programs.

Since the initial event in 1997, the Clinic has raised over $22,000 for a variety of causes related to high school athletics. In recent years, clinic proceeds have benefitted:

• 21 Needy Chicago-Area High School Volleyball Programs
• 3 New Orleans High School Volleyball Programs devastated by Hurricane Katrina
• 2 High school volleyball players stricken with cancer
• A high school basketball player who lost both feet and all fingers to complications from bacterial meningitis
• A multi-sport high school athlete battling leukemia
• The family (including a volleyball coach) of a volleyball player killed in the Columbine massacre
• A child of a volleyball coach stricken with leukemia
• A toddler of a volleyball official battling Hodgkin’s Disease
• An infant son of a volleyball official with a heart defect

In the past, in addition to money raised for purchases and equipment distributor contributions, many local high schools have donated their gently-used equipment to other schools that are in need.

ZONI is sponsoring the clinic. Clinicians are all very experienced high school officials. Collectively, the group has many State Final assignments, and includes PAVO and USAV National Referees and multiple Division I college referees.

The cost of the clinic is $20 for those who register before March 2, 2012. Additional donations are welcomed.

For more information about the clinic and to register, please check out the Clinic Flyer . Additional questions may be directed to Looie Green (looieg60@gmail.com), Ed Vesely (eveselyvb@gmail.com), or Nancy Nester (njn51@hotmail.com).