COLUMN: Monticello shares in Chelsey's Dream

HOME STRETCH COLUMN
By: 
Pete Temple
Express Sports Editor

It's not uncommon to see tons of vehicles, uniformed athletes, parents in lawn chairs and general excitement around Monticello’s ballfields on a summer weekend. 

 

It’s almost surprising when you drive by a field during these months and there is not a tournament going on. 

 

There was indeed a softball tournament going on Saturday, using each of Monticello’s diamonds. But this wasn’t one of the usual tournaments; this one raises funds for the Chelsey’s Dream Foundation, based in Anamosa. 

 

“Chelsey’s Dream Foundation was formed in December of 2014 shortly after our daughter Chelsey lost her battle with uterine and ovarian cancer at the young age of 23,” Chuck Bildstein, Chelsey’s father, wrote me in an email. “The foundation provides financial grants to deserving families that adopt to grow their families. 

 

“Because of her disease and the treatment, she knew she was never going to be able to conceive a child of her own. One of her last wishes was to use some of the money being raised on her behalf toward helping a family with the cost of adoption. She was a beautiful young lady with a big heart. We miss her dearly and are comforted knowing that her dream is being fulfilled many times.” 

 

As of Saturday, Bildstein said, the foundation will have provided financial support to 44 families that have adopted 57 children. 

 

The tournament was directed by Mark Hunt. 

 

“The amount of time he and his family put into the tourney is remarkable,” Bildstein said. 

 

The tournament involved fields in both Monticello and Anamosa, and several Monticello teams took part. 

 

Road sweet road? 

Two thoughts about the NHL and NBA finals, which ended on back-to-back nights last week with the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Raptors, respectively, coming away with first-ever titles. 

 

First, whatever happened to home advantage? In the NBA finals, the visiting teams won five of the six games (including the last four), and in the Stanley Cup finals, which went seven games, visiting team won five (including the last three). So that final score is Visitors 10, Home Teams 3. That’s a whole lot of fans spending a whole lot of money to go home disappointed. 

 

And second, both of these finals, against all odds, went the way I wanted them to. I’m not sure what kind of odds you could have gotten on this proposition had sports betting already been in place here in Iowa, but I know I would have bet against it. 

 

Durant recant 

Of course I opened my yap, or in this case, put the words on my computer, and offered an accusatory thought last week about Kevin Durant, wondering if he was staying out of the NBA finals with an injury because of the contract he will be able to sign this offseason. 

 

The same day I wrote those ill-fated quips, Durant bravely took the court and attempted to play in game five, before injuring himself again. 

 

He gave it a go. So I take it back.

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