Thursday, August 22, 2013



By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

What makes a place a home rather than a destination? On the internet, that’s a tricky question to answer when it comes to the internet. We may all visit some websites on a regular basis to get information or to buy products. And, we may interact with people on the internet to get help with a technical issue or for customer service. But even if we have frequent and regular interaction like that, it’s not enough to call a website like Amazon a “home.”

AngelsWin.com, though, is different. We are a home for Angels fans. A big reason for that is our Fanfests where we interact in person with the people we know behind the keyboard. We care about each other. We help each other. We may not always agree about things, but we all are passionate about the Angels. Through good years and tough years, we are all connected through our love on the team.

Starting with our 2012 Summer Fanfest, AngelsWin.com wanted to be more than just an internet home. We recognized that we are a community. And, as a community, we need to take on the responsibility for helping those that we can. In 2012, AngelsWin.com adopted the Orange County Miracle League as a charity that we could support. As we will hear from its founder, Steel Morris, the Orange County Miracle League fits into our home as it helps children with disabilities play baseball.

As a website, AngelsWin.com is always trying to improve on all aspects of our delivery. We strive to deliver top-notch content for our fans. We strive to deliver quality discussion on our message boards and chats (remember, strive is the operative word). And, in our Fanfests, we strive to always do better than the year before.

So, for the 2013 Summer Fanfest we wanted to raise more money for the Orange County Miracle League than we did in 2012. To do that, we had to add more events. Instead of a one-day event, we added a second day. And by the time it was all done, we even added a third!

The AngelsWin.com 2013 Summer Fanfest got off to a start on Friday, August 16, 2013 with the 1st annual AngelsWin.com Golf Tournament. Created and organized by Adam Dodge and Bruce Nye, the Golf Tournament was a big success. It raised over $1,000.00 for the Orange County Miracle League. Held at the San Juan Hills Golf Club, 32 golfers from our website turned out to have fun and raise money. Click here for brief look at the day’s events.



Next, on Saturday, August 17, 2013, the AngelsWin.com community turned out in force for the 7th annual Softball Tournament. Four teams were drafted, with a playoff format in place to determine the winner. Click here to listen to Bruce Nye and Chuck Richter talk about the importance of the AngelsWin.com Summer Fanfest and raising money for the Orange County Miracle League.



If there has been one constant about the AngelsWin.com Softball Tournament, it’s been that Adam Dodge’s teams have never lost a game. With an impressive winning streak in the books, the first game looked good for his team on paper. In the end, though, the mighty did fall, and Adam will have to wait until next year to earn another win. Click here for highlights of the first game.



One of the Angels celebrities who turned out for the Softball Tournament was Angels TV Broadcaster Victor Rojas. Click here to listen to why he supports the Orange County Miracle League.



After a quick break, it was onto game two of the Softball Tournament. Representing the Orange County Miracle League was Cael Studebaker who threw out the opening pitch. It was very inspirational for the crowd to see one of the people who would benefit with the charity. Click here for highlights of game two.



Another celebrity Angels fan who turned out for the Softball Tournament was Riley Beckenridge, the drummer for the band Thrice. Click here to learn about his first Angels game and why he supports the Orange County Miracle League.



For those not familiar with Orange County Miracle League, here’s an explanation from Steel Morris, the founder of the Orange County Miracle League about the charity. Every community needs people like this who do amazing things out of the goodness of their heart. The world is a better place because of people like this. Click here for an interview with Steel Morris.



And this is why we play the game and raise the funds. The smiles tell you everything you need to know.



One person who cares passionately about the Orange County Miracle League, and has helped to get the story out there is Jenelyn Russo from the Orange County Register Family. Click here to listen to her explain about how important this charity is to our community.



After the games were done, there was just one more thing to do: PARTY! The AngelsWin.com crowd met under the Big A in the parking lot, cooked up tons of food and relaxed amongst friends. Over 150 fans showed up throughout the afternoon to renew connections, talk with friends, and give the website the true meaning of an internet home. We raffled off items donated by fans, celebrities, and the Angels team. A few in particular were Sarah Colonna, Chelsea Handler, and Chris Iannetta. Tim Mead came out to speak with the crowd and to remind us that what we do together as a community of fans is an important part of getting through the tough years for the team. Click here for a montage from the Tailgate Party.



In the end, the AngelsWin.com community raised $3,072.00 for the Orange County Miracle League. But, we were not done. One of our website’s favorite Angels player, Jerome Williams, and his family generously doubled the amount we raised for the Orange County Miracle League to $6,144.00!!!! On behalf of everyone at AngelsWin.com, THANK YOU PINK PUKA! It’s generosity like that that makes you truly an Angel.


On Sunday, August 18 the AngelsWin.com crowd still needed more time with each other. They gathered again at Bootlegger’s Brewery in Fullerton to enjoy some suds and watch the game. The fun continued late as the AngelsWin.com crowd enjoyed one another’s company.

And, there you have it: a wrap-up of the AngelsWin.com 2013 Summer Fanfest. Once again, the people showed why AngelsWin.com is more than just an internet destination—it is the internet home for Angels fans everywhere.

See you all in person at the AngelsWin.com 2014 Spring Training Fanfest! 
Love to hear what you think!
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