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The Pich’ Awards.
2008 at long last. Awarded at the end of 2008 but the proper announcement never hit the web so here it is as written
in late '09.
Greetings to all.
The ceremony was cutback due to lack of funding. I mean should a dude collecting
unemployment shell out big bucks for an award show?
First let’s explain why we’re
here. Last year I was an idiot and dragged my
feet on the 2008 awards. I had a
big plan but, as I always seem to do in life because I want things to be
perfect, I over thought it and never actually just did it. 2007's award show was so enormous that I wanted to top it.
Then I was hit with all of the website
issues that started in the summer which backed up a lot of stuff. Now without further ado here are the
2008 Pich’ Award Winners...
2008 will always be remembered for
The Pich’s move to
Milwaukee which leads us to the winner of our first category.
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| Gassing up on my way to my new town! |
The Mary Samsonite Award (Best Trip of the Year) The nominees were strong with the interview visit to Milwaukee and my first trip home
for Jay Lestage’s wedding coming in strongly behind the winner. Moving to Milwaukee. There is no way I can forget that day. I had said all of
my good-byes. Packed all of my stuff and I was ready to drive across the country by myself. I’d discover
new territory on the way to my future. A sad as I was to leave Vermont behind I was more excited for the unknown.
As I rocked across the country the two-day 16 hour journey seemed to fly by. The stop for the night in Toledo, OH, and
drive through Indiana marked the first times for me in either state. As I drove through Chicago for the first time I
was awed by it’s size. Soon after was the Wisconsin border and then it wasn’t long until Milwaukee. I started by simply driving around the
town. I located where my apartment was, the Bradley Center, and everything else that until then I had mostly only seen
on maps. I ended up at Miller Park which was surprisingly close to my apartment and walked right in to find a high school
all-star game about to start. I got a hotel for the night and was ready to move in to my new place the next day.
The trip that became my reality, my future, and my life simply had to win this category. I’d been dreaming of
that trip for years and I finally got to take it.
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| The happy couple share a usually private moment with guest at their wedding |
The Fontaine Award (Couple of the Year) The
nominees were strong for this award in ’08 with two getting married while another welcomed their first child.
Josh and Beth Goyet got married in October of ’08 and welcomed me to being in the wedding party. Their wedding
was fun as I reunited with our UVM contingent and even learned the Waltz. Aaron and Nicki Stata welcomed their daughter Lydia
not long after I moved away. They also scored a great place in Milton much like this categories winner. Jason
and Jenn Lestage got hitched in September of ’08 and moved in to their house in Milton. The trip back was my first
time back in Vermont since I moved away and it was great to be in the wedding by my long-time buddies side as he got married. I lived with Jay and Jenn for a short
time in their early years of dating and although as the years went by I saw them less they were never far away. Now
that I was far away I knew that some time had been wasted with them. 2008 will always be memorable for them and now
they have another reason to remember it. A Pich’ Award.
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| Mike signed his name to Danza's Cup often in '08 |
Earlier
today in a closed ceremony the Comeback Awards for ’08 were announced. Male – Mike Graves -- Returned on the scene as a WPT regular and dominated the Danza
Cup scene. Lived in the same neighborhood as childhood Pich’ and Jay Lestage.
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| Chantal shares at laugh with Nick Soutiere at PichStock |
Female – Chantal Shanley -- Returned to the Vermont area
after a tragic loss in her family. Partook in PichStock before later moving to the Midwest (Indianapolis) with her husband,
Kevin.
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| Justin swigs away during a song break on "the radio show" |
Lactose Intolerance
Award (Best Performance) There were so many amazing things that I saw in 2008 but among
the events, concerts, and performances one stood out among the Mike Graves winning 5 straight Danza Cup, sports accomplishments,
and midgets stapling money to their nuts. On a little show called “the Radio Show” Justin St. Louis put his health and well-being on the
line for the sake of good radio. He drank a gallon of water during our hour on the air in the “Gallon Challenge.”
He was worse for ware after the show but he did it all simply to be entertaining to the handful of fans listening and God
bless him for that. Thus for the blatant assault on his bladder, Justin St. Louis is again the winner of the Lactose
Intolerance Award!
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| Cara and Pich dressed to the nines to eat Wings over Burlington |
The Sue Ann Piche Award (Most
Valuable to Pich' - Female)
Early in the year there was a front runner that ended
up affecting the entire year, but not really in a positive way. After that debacle, it was an easy choice. For
the third straight year the one female I could count on for common sense, advice, and friendship was Cara Gorman.
Cara
took my old room at the Weav' which was a great lift off of me as I knew Ed was in good hands and the bills would get paid.
After Josh's wedding I came back to the Weav' in my tux ready for fun. We ordered Wings over Burlington
and Cara dressed up just to go pick them up with me so neither of us would look out of place (see picture at right). Also
Cara was the first person I talked to in 2009 as she broke off the call from the Weav's New Year's Bash. She always
had a comforting word, but always told it like it was in a year where I didn't always hear it as such.
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| Trans-Siberian Orchestra was the best show of '08 |
Specialty Award
Bradley Center for Believing in The Pich'
(Knowing
what we know as this hits the presses, this seems odd. But true it was as 2008 came to a close. Thus the props
remain.)
After the initial move fell through contact between the center and Pich remained. As
the summer came and phone interviews all went well, a face-to-face was all that was left. I was flown out for an interview
and put up in one of the best hotels in town. I spoke with many people there and was optimistic that this would be a
good place to put my future into and make my base for a cross-country move. They had already liked me thanks to this
very website (ironic statements say what?). Apparently all went well face-to-face and just days after I returned from
the interview I was offered the job and I accepted.
There was a lot to learn in the early months,
but it was rewarding to learn new parts, meet new people, and have more input. I had a desk, a supervisory role, and
a free-in to all of the great events there. It made the move to Milwaukee excellent and amongst everything else it was
my rock when everything else seemed soft.
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| The Weav' Conference and Events Center stood ready. Ed admires his handiwork. |
Memorable Moment of the Year
Never
will I forget many images from 2008. The weddings, the move, the farewells. However none could match PichStock.
Billed as three-days of fun, PichStock, delivered with an addition to the back deck (The Weav' Conference and Events
Center), parties every night, and a veritable who's-who of Pich' friends.
Friends and family came
from miles around to wish me luck and good-bye. For me it felt like the perfect way to go out... feeling on top.
The
love and support felt during this time also prompted me to our next award...
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| Getting crazy at PichStock! |
Most Inspirational to Pich'
Award
I gave this award a lot of thought. Cause really there was a certain
someone who affected 2008 quite a bit as mentioned before, but I couldn't have that evil associated with an award named after
my grandfather. Also it taught me to look deeper and realize who the real winner was.
All of my friends
and family. Their support was enormous and everyone wished me the best. Not once did anyone not understand why
I had to go. They all stood by me and although it bothered them to see me go nobody tried to stop me. Maybe because
they knew it wouldn't work, but really the fact that no one wavered helped give me the confidence for such a venture on my
own.
I couldn't have made it without everyone! So thanks a bunch!
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| Well done UVM Athletics! I give it a big thumbs up! |
Lifetime Achievement Award
University of Vermont Athletics for being a great place to work for 7 years
When
I think back about how my life really got interesting it all stems back to getting hired at UVM. Shortly after the tragic
incidents of the September 11th attacks I, like everyone, reevaluated what was important in life. I seeked more out
of life than driving around and delivering packages. Thus I jumped at an opportunity that presented itself to me from
Chantal's Dad, Jack. He was a Zamboni driver at UVM and said there was an opening there. In November I was hired
and over the next several years the place became more than a workplace for me. It was also part of my identity.
Loving
sports, and Vermont as I do it only made since that I work at the center of Vermont sports. Over the next few years
I was lucky enough to be a part of some beautiful moments there. I learned many skills, and loved being an important
part of what went on there. I feel like I "grew up" as an employee there. I formed friendships and relationships
while there that will last me a lifetime.
I cherish the everything I ever got out of UVM Athletics
while I was there, and I hope they realize I tried to put equal amounts of effort, love, and care in to what I did while I
was there. I'll always wear the V-Cat proudly as an unofficial ambassador for Vermont Athletics wherever I go!
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| Kellen (far-left) helped Billy and I put the F U in our holiday! |
The F U in Fun Award
This category saw a lot of contenders rise to
the forefront. The Vermont clique did their best to add those two letters but one man embodied "F U" in 2008 soon after
my arrival to Wisconsin.
Kellen Haynes was working
at the BC when I started there. He seemed a bit stand-offish at first, but after learning why we quickly buried any
issues. His edginess while all the while seeking to be funny or controversial can come off as being arrogant or rude.
However if you're simply out for fun and in need of a fella to shake things up and always be on the attack, Kellen is
your guy.
Aside from being a source of
fun, and funny, Kellen also invited me to join his family for Thanksgiving which was cool. Night drinking down in Kenosha
with Big John led to big trouble for me one night, but big fun more often, and also our trip to Green Bay for a Packers game
in December which is a day none of us will forget!
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| Kim throws up her asian gang signs |
The Newbette Award (Rookie of
the Year - Female)
Meeting new
people was huge for me in '08 but no female rose to the challenge of award-winning status quite like Kim Nyugen.
Kim was also a new employee at the Bradley Center when
I started. Thus I think we formed a little bond and it wasn't long before we started hanging-out outside of work. She
was in the group on my first night out on the town, and celebrating her birthday was big fun as well.
She was always a joy to run in to at work and I felt like she was my go-to-girl
in Milwaukee. Hanging out with her and her friends were some of social outings I needed early on to grasp fitting in
here in a bigger city. With a smile that lights up a room Kim Nyugen is the '08 Rookie of the Year - Female!
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| Neil is a die-hard member of the Packer Force |
The Newbie Award (Rookie of the
Year - Male)
The rookie of the
year scene was so packed this year due to everyone I saw from mid-August on becoming a candidate. It's tough to have
to evaluate everyone currently in your day-to-day life for an award, but things shook out for Neil Wolfe winning pretty easily.
Neil also worked at the Bradley Center when I started and
early on people joked that we were brothers. Mostly because we were two of the only tall white guys on staff. However
as time moved on I began to see Neil as a brother. We'd hang at my apartment playing PS2 on folding chairs until one
of us literally passed out. Forming with Dan the three of us spent a great deal of time together. As a "youngin'" at only 19 the time I met him, Neil, emerged in to one-of
my go-to guys at work and even getting to and from work as Cargate exploded at the end of the year. From hooping it
up to chillin' out, from Taco Bell to Johnny V's, from Miller Park to Lambeau Field... Neil is the fitting Rookie of the Year
- Male!
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| Myself, Dan and Kellen thugged it out one night at Wolski's |
The Bernard J. Piche Award (Most
Valuable to Pich' - Male)
In 2008 I needed a lot of help. The ups and downs
of a regular year were magnified as I was suddenly living in an area that I didn't know at all.
Dan
Young stepped up as my personal tour guide of sorts throughout my early months. Dan had the same title as me at the
Bradley Center so we saw a lot of each other at work and otherwise.
At work Dan helped me learn the
craft and we worked together to keep our guys in order. Away from the BC Dan became my event planner of sorts as he
often invited me along with whatever he was doing. If not for the BC, almost everyone I knew in Milwaukee I met through
Dan. He also often dropped local facts on me and taught me the ins and outs of the Wisconsin culture.
Not
only was Dan a joy, and quite helpful but in addition to sharing the same birthday as me we found we had a lot in common.
I found him easy to trust and even called on him during two of my low points of the year. Once after and OWI arrest
and the other came several times as I needed transportation to work.
Quite simply everyone in Milwaukee
was helpful in getting me setup here, but I couldn't have done it without Dan, and thus he is the 2008 MVP - Male!
They were written at the end of '09 but in the spirit of '08. It took awhile but
it was worth the wait to honor these special moments and people that made 2008 the biggest year ever! Thanks for reading!
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