Blessings in a Backpack staff members Kevin Beam, Beth Sedgwick, Nikki Grizzle, Beth Bush, Lisa Bishop, Jennifer Dickens and Stan Curtis.

People magazine, known and loved worldwide for entertainment news and gossip, is shining the spotlight on a new kind of celebrity – locally-based charity, Blessings in a Backpack.

The non-profit, which was founded in 2005 by Stan Curtis, was designed to feed elementary school children who qualify for the federally funded National School Lunch Program. Since beginning in Jefferson County, it has grown to serve nearly 59,000 children in the U.S., Colombia, Haiti and Canada. Recently, Blessings in a Packpack was named the benefiting charity for the year-long People magazine initiative, “People First: Help Feed a Child.”

“(Of) all the charities in America and (People) chose one in Louisville, Ky., and that really makes me proud,” said Curtis, who was informed last October that his organization had been selected for the People campaign.

Beginning in early February, every six weeks, People will highlight Blessings in a Backpack in editorials, public service announcements, and a feature in People en Espanol magazine.

“We first really wanted to focus on childhood hunger because obviously it’s a huge issue in the country,” said Elizabeth Gleick, executive editor of People magazine. “When we looked at organizations addressing hunger we liked the idea of choosing something a little bit more local and grassroots. We felt like (Blessings in a Backpack) was a match with the People brand and we liked the mission.”

With the extended coverage in People, Blessings in a Backpack estimates the partnership will allow them to feed approximately 25,000 more children in 2012.

More than 62 percent of US school children qualify for the federally funded Free and Reduced Price Meal program, and for many of them, it’s their only source of nutrition during the week. But, with the help of Blessings in a Backpack, each Friday, many children leave school with a backpack filled with food to sustain them throughout the weekend.

The Voice-Tribune’s Ashley Anderson and Stan Curtis looked at the Blessings in a Backpack spread in People Magazine.

The charity is also having a profound effect in the classroom, generating improvements in test scores, reading skills, positive behavior and increased attendance.

“You give (children) a chance to have consistent nutrition, they’re going to learn more,” Curtis said. “(We’ve received) thousands of letters from schools saying our grades are (going up), our math is (going up), our reading scores are (going up).”

An $80 donation to the organization can feed one American student in the program for an entire 38-week school year. By the end of 2012, People magazine expects donations to increase drastically, but Curtis – already astounded by the growth of his charity since 2005 – has no specific goal in mind, but simply hopes he made a difference in someone else’s life.

“It’s a pretty strong partnership and I think it’s going to mean tens of thousands of more children are going to be on this program,” said Curtis. “We don’t have a goal, we just want to feed more children. I think that if we’re able to feed a lot more kids and get more people aware of what children in American schools face and how easily it can be replicated and how easily it can be adopted and cared about in communities around this country, I think the goal will take care of itself.”

For more information on Blessings in a Backpack, visit www.blessingsinabackpack.org.

Contact writer Ashley Anderson at aanderson@voice-tribune.com.

“When I introduce you, I’m gonna say, ‘This is a friend of mine.’ That means you’re a connected guy.”
— Al Pacino as Lefty in the movie “Donnie Brasco”

I learned some wonderful marketing tips from mobsters.

I grew up in northern Kentucky. My father was a professional gambler, and the Newport and Covington areas were heavily influenced, or controlled, by the Mafia.

My dad said about his bookmaking operations, “We can’t advertise on television or put a sign in the window. We can’t sue if someone doesn’t pay us. All we can do is hope that honorable people refer us to other honorable people.”

It must have been a good system. Without advertising, he never seemed to lack for customers.

I live in a more refined world of high finance and well-educated financial consultants. Many of my competitors are affiliated with huge corporations with million dollar marketing budgets.

As a small business, I have a marketing weapon that is impossible for a large corporation to compete with.

The friend-of-the-friend referral.

When I am meeting someone for the first time, I try to find if we have a common friend or connection. If you go through the six degrees of separation, most people will connect before you get two degrees away.

Instead of just saying my name, I mention our common relationship.

The common relationship is an immediate door opener and an immediate connection.

Especially if the connector is someone highly thought of.

Since I watched everyone do it when I was growing up, I thought that the friend-of-a-friend referral was a common practice.

I’ve discovered that most people don’t. They meet a new person, say hello, maybe learn their name and go on from there.

I don’t get it.

Being a friend-of-a-friend is the quickest way to get in my door. It’s the only way that you will become my Facebook or Linkedin friend.

I have several thousand Facebook friends when you include my business and fan pages. If you don’t have a common friend amongst them, I won’t add you as a friend unless I know you personally.

That doesn’t count celebrity “friends” that I don’t really know. I used to have Newt Gingrich and Bob Woodward as Facebook friends but I dropped them as I got tons of requests where one or the other was the only common “friend.”

I’ve met Newt four times, getting on and off airplanes. (I used to frequently go on a route that went to Washington via Atlanta.) That’s not enough for either of us to give a “friend-of-a-friend” referral.

I did have a friend-of-a-friend connection with John Edwards. I met him in 2003 when he was gearing up to run for President. We met in a crowded room and when I got my chance to say hello, I told him I was a friend of one of his former law partners.

Of the people in the room, I wound up having lunch with him. I wound up donating a reasonably large sum to his campaign, so it was a good friend-of-a-friend deal for him, too.

John’s political career didn’t end the way I had hoped, but he and Al Gore (who I got to know well after a friend-of-a-friend introduction) were the two people I’ve ever gotten to know who had a chance to be President of the United States.

“Donny Brasco” is a terrific movie at many levels, but I was always fascinated by the importance it placed on personal connections and being referred by the right people.

The referral process happens in every level of society. It’s how private clubs and organizations select their members.

Some of my friends will accuse me of name dropping. I don’t care and won’t change a lifetime habit that has worked pretty well for me.

Unlike my father’s world, I can do fancy marketing campaigns and I have good access to the media. From a business standpoint, none of those tactics work as well as being, a friend of a friend.

As Lefty said in Donny Brasco, “It means you are a connected guy.”

Don McNay, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CSSC is the bestselling author of the book, Wealth Without Wall Street; McNay, who lives in Richmond, Ky., is an award-winning financial columnist and Huffington Post contributor. You can learn more about him at www.donmcnay.com.

Haley Collard, Brian Hamilton and Destini Miles.

Louisville is about to go blue.

The critically acclaimed Blue Man Group is slated to play The Kentucky Center April 10-15, a show considered “funny, stunning and intellectually stimulating” by Stephen Klein, president of the Kentucky Center.

And Klein should know – he’s seen them three times already.

Blue Man Group is best recognized as three bald, blue performers that engage the audience with unforgettable tribal rhythms courtesy of large drums.  In addition to hosting the electrifying performance, the Kentucky Center and PNC Broadway in Louisville have partnered with the Louisville Visual Art Association’s (LVAA) Open Doors Program to create a 3-D mural commemorating the event, aptly titled “Project Blue Drum.”

Open Doors provides opportunities to enhance artistic skills for communities with narrow access to the visual arts.  By pairing a professional artist with various community groups, the intent is to create meaningful works of self-expression in a positive environment.

Artist Tara Remington was chosen to collaborate with Western Middle School, an experience she considered enriching and soulfully satisfying.  Remington created the vision for “Project Blue Drum” and spent 12 weeks with the 6th and 7th grade students of Western Middle School, and art teacher, Amanda Thompson.

The teachers took a turn.

“The power of creativity is so subtle to (the students),” Remington said.

The youngsters are rewarded with not just the satisfaction of a job well done, but with tickets to see Blue Man Group perform.  “The bigger the growth of our project, the bigger the growth of the kids.  I’d say they’ve completely transformed,” Remington said.

And grow it has.

LVAA Open Doors Project Manager Aron Conaway considers this the most sophisticated, most involved project he’s administered to date.  “There’s been such a positive response, and people are so excited for us.  But truly, the excitement is for the kids.  They’ve worked so hard.”

Conaway views “Project Blue Drum” as a literal extension of the visual arts into the surrounding communities here in Louisville, a goal he says that wouldn’t have happened without the collaboration of so many.

Art in progress.

The Kentucky Center has extended a hand in promoting “Project Blue Drum” by publicly unveiling the sculpture on The Kentucky Center front steps on Friday, March 2nd, from 6-8 p.m. Additionally, the creation will be available for viewing throughout the run of the Blue Man Group.  The Kentucky Center will also host a reception following the opening night performance for guests to enjoy blue martinis and Blue Moon beer, and revel in the performance of local band, The Blue Umbrellas.

Being blue never felt so good.

Blue Man Group will play The Kentucky Center April 10-15.  Tickets go on sale at The Kentucky Center box office on Friday, March 2nd with prices starting at $22.75. Call 502.584.7777 or go online at www.KentuckyCenter.org or www.TicketMaster.com to order.  Groups of 10 or more can buy now by calling Hilda Davis at 502.569.3060.

Tumbleweed on River Road will once again host the annual Special Olympics Polar Plunge, one of the organization’s biggest fundraisers of the year.

Tumbleweed Operating Partners Mike and Matt Higgins presented an $18,000 check to Special Olympics in 2011.

The Plunge works just like a walk-a-thon, but with one big twist: Participants solicit donations but instead of walking, they take a chilly dip into the Ohio River at Tumbleweed on the Waterfront. Anyone can participate by donating a “bear”  minimum of $75 (it’s only $50 for junior plungers).

Last year’s Polar Plunge was pushed out of the Ohio River for the first time since 2003 as high water forced the event to be held with participants jumping into a pair of pools set up in the amphitheater at Waterfront Park. The change didn’t deter plungers, however, as more than 1,275 turned out, raising $357,000 for Special Olympics.

This year’s event is sponsored by Tumbleweed, Zappo’s, WAVE 3, 84WHAS, 93.1 The Fox, Louisville’s GenX Radio 100.5, Radio Now 98.9, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, CBS Outdoor, Watson’s Pools, Louisville Metro Government and AAA Travel.

Tumbleweed Operating Partners Matt and Mike Higgins and their staff look forward to the festivities, despite the weekend’s icy outlook, at least for those who will be going for a swim.

“We support Special Olympics because it has given us such a wonderful tie to all of our local communities in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky,” Matt Higgins said. “It started as a perfect opportunity for an event at the waterfront and now has blossomed into a heartwarming partnership that truly affects every person in our organization.

The brothers invite their entire staff to participate, said Matt Higgins. “It’s truly a team effort. It’s for such a great cause, and we are so proud to be a part of it.”
For more information about the Polar Plunge, contact Candace Thompson at 502.326.5002. e-mail cthompson@soky.org or go to soky.kintera.org/2012louisvilleplunge.

THE PLUNGE!

Saturday, February 25
Tumbleweed on the River

• 9:30 am. to 1 p.m. – Registration (including day of walk-up registration)
• 10:30 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies
• 11:00 am – Plunging begins
• Noon – Awards Break
• Noon – ?? – Post Plunge Bash at Tumbleweed

Since the day I brought home my first dog, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, I have known this to be true. I was rewarded for my belief when I asked my canine trainer friend, Allison Jamison Woosley, for some advice on keeping dogs mentally stimulated, and she responded with the very same phrase.

The reasoning is simple according to Jamison Woosley. “Consider being trapped inside a house with absolutely nothing to do for eight or nine hours. Dog’s can’t watch TV or read a book, or even dust or vacuum to keep themselves occupied.

I think most humans, after a nap perhaps, would go stir crazy. It’s no different for your dog, and your dog is asked to do this in many cases day in, day out up to five days a week.”

When dogs create something to break up the monotony, we usually consider the results to be destructive. They will tear up shoes. They will rip the stuffing out of your couch. They will spend all day barking.

My Corgi, Bailey, spent her days chewing through the baby gates we used to keep her confined to the kitchen area. Even if your dog does manage to behave for the hours you’re gone, as Jamison Woosley puts it, “By the time you get home from work they are likely to be wound up and hyper for any interaction, right when you are exhausted from a long day of work.”

The good news is that it’s really pretty easy to keep your dog occupied. If your dog is like most, acquiring food or treats is a great motivator. You can even turn your dog’s breakfast into a game that lasts for much of their morning. Several different dog toy and product brands make puzzle games for your dog. Instead of putting food in their bowl, you put the food or treats inside the puzzle, and your dogs will spend hours getting it out. My favorite product brand is Kong because most of their toys are tough enough to withstand a lot of chewing.

Jamison Woosley suggests there are less expensive ways of doing the same thing, using empty paper towel rolls with the ends folded, or an empty peanut butter jar. Of course both will likely be shredded by the end of the day, which is better than your shoes.

One of my favorite suggestions by Jamison Woosley is the “Find It” game, which she describes this way.

“’Find It’ means something is buried and they should seek it out.  Start easy by placing a treat on a chair and say ‘Find It.’  Offer praise when they get the treat. Eventually you can hide treats all over the house and when you leave, cue your dog to start the hunt game of ‘Find It’.”

Finally, if your dog is social, you might consider taking him or her to doggie daycare while you’re gone to work, or hiring a dog walker to break up the monotony and work out some excess energy. Even a few times a week can make a big difference.

For more on positive reinforcement training visit www.happydogky.com.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email: louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or Online: www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast

Big name college basketball coaches could be heard screaming expletives to fellow coaches, “Do you believe what that #$%& Calipari is doing now? And with the help of ESPN!”

Calipari already gets the cream of the crop of the nation’s high school seniors – and there he was on one of the family of ESPN networks.

For two hours – TWO hours! – the nation’s recruits were invited to see a free commercial for University of Kentucky basketball: Cal running his Wildcats through a typical day of practice and in effect saying, “Come on down to Lexington. You will like it here.”

And if that wasn’t enough, another national  ESPN outlet showed it one more time at night!

An adoring audience of about 2,000 Big Blue fans showed their devotion as Coach Cal, wired  for sound, played them like a cheap piano. If he asked the fans for cheers, he got cheers. Anything for Coach Cal and his Wildcats.

Just one thing was missing.

A Rupp show?

Adolph Rupp should have been in Memorial Coliseum, one of two arenas that he built for his UK basketball teams.

Rupp was a hoot at practices, especially if a sportswriter was present. The Wildcats hated to see a guest writer because they knew that Adolph would put on a show for the writer – at the expense of the players.

When Rupp would say something funny – which he often did – his players would turn their backs to him so that he couldn’t see them cracking up. Really, he was a funny man when he wanted to be.

The last year Rupp coached, Louisville Times Sports Columnist Dean Eagle and I watched the Wildcats practice. I had taken the old coach a copy of Tev Laudeman’s book, “The Rupp Years,” an incomparable book on UK basketball.

Eagle and I sat with Rupp at courtside when he said, “They bounce the damn balls and it makes me sleepy.”

Rupp Correction

Rupp autographed one for me. As soon as he wrote “Adolph F. Rupp,” I said, “Thanks, coach.”

“Well hell, don’t you want to make it authentic? And then he made a swirl beneath his name and said, “Now, it’s official.”

A little later, he called one day and invited me to lunch at Idle Hour Country Club, where most of the rich Lexingtonians belong. (UK pays membership dues.)

When we had finished lunch, I asked the waiter for the check.

“Well, by gawd,” said Rupp. “I wish that you could pay the bill, but members have to pay.”

Back to Calipari and his televised open practice for fans, students and faculty: You can bet  your bottom dollar that the NCAA was paying attention and it won’t be surprising if the NCAA passes a rule forbidding such practices. No, make that “nationally televised” practices.

Sandy Bell Present

I doubt if many people noticed a white-haired lady sitting at the press table during the TV scrimmage. She was Sandy Bell, whose job it is to see that the Cats are in full compliance with NCAA rules.

Let UK do something that may give the Cats a little advantage and other big schools will start doing the same thing.

Remember when Joe B. Hall succeeded Rupp as UK head coach? He started taking his team around the state for pre-season scrimmages. They were enormously popular. Soon other schools, including Louisville and Indiana, started doing the same thing.

That bad old NCAA passed a rule against off-campus scrimmages.

Nothing has ever approached what Coach Cal (and ESPN) pulled off. Stay tuned.

Not Unique

I hope that Wayne Martin, who runs TV stations in Lexington and Hazard, has a talk with his on-air stars, especially Dave Baker and Insight’s Matt Jones, and asks them, pretty please, to look up the word  “unique” in the dictionary.

UK’s televised practice was  NOT the most unique or very unique. Please, guys, you were doing a national telecast for ESPN and your grammar makes our state look ignorant. There are NO degrees of unique. It either is or isn’t.

Fashion photographer Nigel Barker and Jo Ross.

What a wonderful week packed with glamorous, intriguing fashion at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Park – and all over the city.

The designers really gave a best effort in creating pretty, beguiling and sensuous ideas for Fall/Winter 2012.

Our favorites: Carolina Herrera, Betsey Johnson, Zang Toi, Pamela Roland and Michael Kors never disappoint, and Naeem Khan, Badgley Mischka  and Reem Acra continued in their spectacular red carpet style, as did Herve Leger by Max Azria.

Custo Barcelona was sensational. Very well coordinated daywear, from head to toe, in multiple prints, with wool, leather and metallic applications, and  great new shapes like cocoons (jackets with rounded sleeves that envelope the arms with yards of fabric).

Tadashi Shoji created very new, ladylike see-through (lined in nude fabric) chantilly lace gowns and dresses that look fresh, but Old World as well.

Shanghai, the “Paris of the Orient,” served as inspiration, and the models were absolutely beautiful, even down to their sheer black hosiery and ankle strap delicate pumps. Chantilly lace in cobalt blue and fire red was unexpected – and exhilarating.

But there were also  lots of new, up ‘n’ coming designers presented from all over the world, and their ideas and inspirations were vast.

Concept Korea presented the concepts of several designers. I particularly thought the Son Jung Wan and Doho were interestingly shaped and used innovative techniques like handcrafted textures and fantasy fabrics of lamé and tinsel sparked fake furs.

Houghton’s entire presentation was in winter white and very slight variations to the hue. Houghton’s silhouettes were particularly interesting, with emphasis on bare backs, glamorous jeweling and long legged trousers and coats.

There were also several mainstream collections that showed during  MBFW,  J. Crew, Nautica, and bebe.  They presented their viewpoints quite well: bebe had a very crisp, ’40’s vibe, with nipped waists, back seamed hose, ivory blouses,  dark skirts and jackets, and broad shoulders.

Nautica was basically the same tried and true for the manly man, but they made up for it with the most delicious models.

A funky collection that was done quite well was  Falguni & Shane Peacock.  Very supple leather cut outs interworked with tulle and netting to create scrolling patterns that looked downright wicked, and then sometimes embellished with jewels and sparkle.  Very well done, but  not for the office. Definitely club clothes.

Trends that I thought looked great include sheer  high/low hems on dresses, skirts, and jackets where there are panels that flow as you walk. Leggings, textured hose, and tights are a must under these. The Emilio Cavallini collection of printed and textured tights, thigh-high hose and bodices  will be the perfect underpinning for these looks.

Shoulder and sleeve emphasis included padded shoulders, fur or textured fabric atop sleeves, and cape and caplet shapes as toppings. A rounded sleeve shape was also in evidence, as were dolman sleeves.  I loved the many backless looks; very unexpected and sexy.  Beaded tendrils dripped from many sleeves and bodices, a lá the Bob Mackie signature trim, as well as mirrored jeweling on gowns.   Metallic trimmings will include all the shades: golden, silver, bronze, hematite, and jet, and they are plentiful.

Fabrics included tweeds, alpaca and velvet as well as chiffon and tulle.

Colors featured most often were   black, grays, cobalt, emerald and port.

A few weeks back the number of horses nominated to the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown spiked to 398 3-year-olds – an unexpected gain of nearly seven percent in the number of horses made eligible to run in the spring classics.

And now we have the results of the first of three betting pools in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

The three-day pool that provides racing fans with a chance to wager on possible Derby contenders weeks in advance of the Run for the Roses at odds that could be much more attractive than those available on Derby Day.

Lot of Entries

Racing’s only active pari-mutuel future pool also benefitted from a burst of fan and bettor enthusiasm and a record $631,304 was wagered during the three-day pool.

That’s an increase of 6.6 percent in betting from 2010 and erased a record set in the opening pool of 2005, the year in which 50-1 shot Giacomo won the Kentucky Derby.

The strong 3-2 favorite in the pool was not an individual Derby prospect, but the mutuel field, or “All Others” ruled the weekend.

That $2 win bet covers all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in the world other than the 23 individual horses among the 24 wagering interests in the Derby Future Pool.

“All Others” has been favored in each of the opening pools of the Future Wager since the bet was introduced in 1999, so the strong support for that interest this year was no surprise.

If you’re looking for an individual horse that could be called the favorite to win the 138th Kentucky Derby, it would be either Union Rags or unbeaten Algorithms.

The former suffered the only loss of his career in a narrow setback to eventual 2-year-old champion Hansen in last fall’s Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs and is trained by Michael Matz, who did a marvelous job of getting the ill-fated Barbaro to the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle in 2006.

Local Connection

Algorithms, owned by the Starlight Racing partnership headed by Louisville native Jack Wolf that includes attorney and civic leader Ed Glasscock and son Clint, defeated Hansen in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park to maintain a 3.0 record.

Union Rags closed as the favored individual horse at 7-1, while Algorithms, one of four Pool 1 horses trained by Derby winner Todd Pletcher, was next at 12-1.

After that the individual odds ranged from 16-1 on the Pletcher-trained El Padrino to 141-1 on Longview Drive.

Why bet the mutuel field at such an early stage?

For one thing, there’s a good chance that the winner of the 2012 Kentucky Derby was not on Pool 1’s list of individual horses.

Animal Was Late

Animal Kingdom, winner of the 2011 Derby, was not a betting interest until last year’s third future pool, and the eventual winner was a member of the “All Others” betting interest in Pool 1 in five of the previous 13 renewals of the Derby Future Wager.

And why would you bet on a horse so early?

One thought is that you’re looking for Funny Cide, who paid $27.60 on a $2 win wager in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, but returned $188 for the same wager in Pool 1 of that year’s future bet.

And, of course, there are bragging rights for handicappers.

Boost To Ego

The fact that you or I not only liked the Derby winner, but bet on him three months before the race, is a nice boost to the ego of the Derby fan and horseplayer.

The fate of tickets purchased in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 will not be revealed until the race is run on the first Saturday in May, but the bet has rebounded in the past two years after a string of three consecutive years during which the opening pool’s betting total failed to top $480,000.

In a national Thoroughbred wagering marketing that has been on a two-year slide, the 2011 total of $592,492 and this year’s record betting total – just the second to top $600,000 in the Derby Future bet’s 14-year history – cannot be viewed as anything but a positive indicator for the Derby and the industry.

And, as a longtime member of the Churchill Downs team and the racing industry, I can assure you that we graciously accept any good news that develops.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 is scheduled for March 2-4, and the year’s third and final Derby Futures Pool is set for March 30-April 1.

Everyone knows about the hatred between the Cardinals and a certain school an hour or so east of town.

The playing of John Denver’s ‘Country Roads’ has unofficially been banned by most Louisville establishments due to the Cards’ hatred for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Louisvillians love their sports, but they also love to hate their rivals.

For the past three seasons, a rivalry just short of hooligan proportions has been building between the Louisville Lightning and Detroit Waza.

This season has seen two games boil over with player scuffles, controversial calls, and a broken arm to Lightning goalkeeper Frank Peabody. It should be noted that both games went to the Detroit Waza, with the latter decision coming in mid-January in Detroit.

Since that loss, the Lightning has rattled off five straight victories.

They’ll head into their season finale Friday night boasting an 11-4 league record as they gear up for what hopes to be a deep playoff run. In year three of the franchise, the team looks stronger and more composed than ever as they enter the postseason.

Only one obstacle stands in the way of the Lightning hoisting the division trophy and a six-game winning streak, and that obstacle rolls into Louisville Friday night.

The Detroit Waza currently has a half-game lead over the Lightning in the standings, thanks to a shocking upset by the Kansas Magic on Feb. 12.

That sets up Friday’s meeting between the Lightning and Waza to be arguably the biggest game in franchise history.

With the playoffs looming, Lightning Coach Ted Nichols says the team is solely focused on beating the Detroit Waza.

“We want to win the division. It’s not about the playoffs; it’s about winning the division,” he said. “We got some help from other teams, and now we have to train and get ready for Detroit. We have so much to play for, and we’d like to be playing for first place in that final regular season game.”

Detroit is a veteran team, with many guys who have been playing together for more than a decade.

For Louisville, Friday’s game represents a chance to disrupt the Waza’s cohesion and get revenge after the two earlier losses.

This weekend’s contest is more than just a league match, however.

“We have a great rivalry with the Waza, but we’ve been on the negative end of some decisions up there. Some of our worst moments as a team came against Detroit, so there is nothing we want more than a victory Friday,” Nichols said.

For the Lightning, it’s a chance to claim a division title heading into the playoffs.

For Louisville sports fans, it’s a chance to find another rival to hate.

That acquaintance was Kurt Broecker, whom Mary didn’t know well, but after driving in the car with him for 30 minutes, Mary felt a sudden spark.

“I didn’t know Kurt well at the time, but by the time we got to Shelbyville – a half an hour – I was in love,” Mary said, smiling at Kurt.

During the drive, Mary and Kurt began talking about scuba diving, an interest they share, and decided to visit Nassau for a diving trip with a group of friends on spring break.

“We just have always had so many interests alike,” Mary said. “We’ve always chosen not to go our separate ways especially in the evenings because that’s the only time couples really have time to connect. We decided early that we would maybe do one thing a month that didn’t involve the other person.”

On April 11, 1964, the couple married at Mary’s parents’ home in Owensboro. Following the ceremony, Mary and Kurt hopped in Mary’s ’64 Corvette, a gift she was given as incentive to attend graduate school, and drove to New Orleans for their honeymoon.

Upon returning to Kentucky, the Broeckers resided in Louisville, where much of the Broecker family – including The Voice-Tribune columnist, Carla Sue, whose husband, Brad, is Kurt’s cousin – lived. But, having grown up on a farm in Owensboro, Mary began longing for a farm of her own, and found a picturesque home in La Grange, Ky. three years later.

“I grew up showing horses and cattle and baking biscuits for 4H and that kind of thing,” she said. “We began searching for a farm of our own and we found this place. We’ve been here for almost 45 years.”

Their spacious backyard is home to many horses, cows and chickens. Each year, Mary enters her chickens in the state fair and has walked away with a ribbon every single year.

Mary and Kurt have also become active in the community. Former president of the Fillies and treasurer of the Woman’s Club of Louisville, Mary now serves on the board of Yew Dell Gardens and is president of the Republican Women in LaGrange.

Kurt has served on the board of AAA Kentucky and the board of Regent University, a Christian college in Virginia, and was in charge of the motorcycle group at Southeast Christian.

Aside from their individual projects, the two also shared time together dancing, traveling and helping young couples prepare for marriage.

“At Southeast Christian we were marriage mentors for about 12 years,” Mary said. “Southeast has a wonderful program. They talk about different things that will come up in married life. We still keep up with a lot of couples we did mentor.”

Kurt and Mary doled out plenty of marriage advice, teaching communication as the key to a successful relationship. But, in the last four years, Mary and Kurt have had to work especially hard to practice what they preach since an unexpected twist of fate happened on March 28, 2008.

On that day, Kurt suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak. He can gesture, and say “yes” and “no.” The Broeckers have found music therapy to be especially helpful, as it has miraculously taught Kurt a few important phrases.

“He has like six or eight phrases that have their own melody,” Mary said. “ ‘You look nice today’ is one, because he used to always compliment me. It is harder because we were best friends, and still are, but we talked about everything. But you make a commitment to marriage and as you go through life, changes come along and you make the best of them. I wouldn’t say it’s brought us closer, but because we’ve always been so close, it hasn’t taken anything away.”

The couple now spend their time dining at restaurants in LaGrange and Louisville and enjoy Mitchell’s, Corbett’s, Limestone and Rivue. They also spend time with their two children, O’Bryan and T.K., and their grandchildren, Taylor and Mary Elizabeth.

It is safe to say much has changed in 47 years, but Mary and Kurt have never lost sight of their love and have proven that they share a truly unbreakable bond.

“We’ve always respected one another,” Mary said. “In all the things that I’ve done, Kurt has always been 100 percent supportive. People don’t believe us but we have never had an argument. We just always have had so much consideration for what the other one needs at the time. We’re both very easy-going. I try to think what Kurt would like – and he does the same for me.”

Do’s

“Communicate,” Mary said.

Don’ts

“Don’t forget to think about the other person’s needs,” Mary advised.