8th Annual Big Z Challenge
The 8th Annual Big Z Challenge was held on February 25, 2019 at Elliot River’s Edge in Manchester, NH. We raised $27,500 for the new $29M Elliot Regional Cancer Center through the Mary & John Elliot Foundation. This brings the total raised by the Big Z Challenge to over $150,000! The “All About Hockey” themed event featured our favorite NHL Bruin, Zdeno Chara. The event brought approximately 150 young hockey fans and their families together with the Bruins legend for a fun afternoon of hockey related challenges. SNHU Penmen joined the fun this year to help make the entire event even more memorable. The children chanted “Chara! Chara! Chara!” as the 6’9 hockey legend appeared at the entrance. He smiled at his fans and gave high-5’s as he funneled through an aisle leading to the street hockey challenge. The 2009 AAA Jr. Monarchs and the U12 Select Team were honorary guests and had the opportunity to play street hockey with the Big Z and win prizes such as Bruins game tickets, NHL Bruins pucks, signed hats, and photos.
We humbly thank our sponsors; The Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation, Mehan & Johnson Orthodontics, Northeast Delta Dental, Manchester Oral Surgery, Ken & Susan Foote, The Gibeault Family Charitable Trust, NHOMS, The Manchester Monarchs, Primary Bank, Risk Strategies-Phil Grisafi, and Tziros Endodontics.
7th Annual Big Z Challenge
The 7th Annual Big Z Challenge was held on January 9th, 2018 at Elliot River’s Edge in Manchester, NH. We raised 25,000 for the new $29m Elliot Regional Cancer Center through the Mary & John Elliot Foundation. Boston Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara joined in the fun to meet fans and challenge attendees to a face-off in a one-on-one air hockey game. Families enjoyed all the elements of the winter themed party along with Chara, who relishes the opportunity to spend time with his fans at this exclusive, intimate event.
6th Annual Big Z Challenge
The 6th Annual Big Z challenge took place on Monday, February 6th, 2017, Dr. Bryan Hoertdoerfer, owner of Hoertdoerfer Dentistry hosted the Big Z charity event at the Conference Center at the Elliot at River’s Edge in Manchester, N.H. featuring Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. $21,000 was raised in support of the Elliot Health System Pediatrics through the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation. The nearly sold-out luau-themed event gave a group of 50 fans the chance to spend quality time with Chara, playing games, enjoying entertainment, and receiving various prizes and giveaways. Chara played air-hockey with randomly selected fans in attendance.
The 5th annual Big Z Challenge took place in October of 2015 and funded much needed clinical improvements for Elliot Health System pediatrics, which treats over 3,000 young patients admitted to the hospital annually. The sold-out Rodeo themed event gave a group of Bruins fans the chance to spend quality time with Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, playing games, enjoying entertainment, and various prizes and giveaways. Chara participated in an air-hockey game challenge with fans in attendance. During the event, Chara signed autographs, took photos, and even wanted to stay a little longer than scheduled to let more young fans play some games with him as well. The event space was transformed into a Rodeo, complete with cowboy boots, cowboy/girl hats, burlap table cloths, cow spotted balloons, bales of hay, and fun traditional games like froggy fling, land on the color, coke bottle toss as well as face painting. Families enjoyed all the elements of the Rodeo along with Chara, who relishes the opportunity to spend time with his fans in this exclusive, intimate annual charity event atmosphere. The uniqueness of this event has certainly caught the attention of the local community, being that it is the only annual charity event with a current Boston Bruins player that is held outside of the Boston area, making it a magnet for southern, NH sports fans.
The Boston Bruins mascot Blades and a few of the Bruins Ice Girls also attended on behalf of the Boston Bruins Foundation to support the event. $10,000 was raised and donated to the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation to purchase a much needed Pediatric Emergency Department Infant Warmer.
4th Annual Big Z Challenge
The 4th Annual Big Z Challenge took place in October of 2014. The sold-out harvest-party-themed event gave a group of 60 Bruins fans the chance to spend quality time with Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, playing games, enjoying entertainment, and various prizes and giveaways. Chara participated in an air-hockey game challenge with three randomly selected fans in attendance. The winner of the challenge received a prize pack including Bruins fan memorabilia and tickets to a home game at the TD Garden in Boston. During the event, Chara signed autographs, took photos, and even wanted to stay a little longer than scheduled to let more young fans play some games with him as well.
The event space was transformed into a fall-themed harvest party, complete with fresh local farm apples and cider donuts, haystacks and pumpkins, and fun traditional games like bean bag toss and pumpkin bowling. Families enjoyed all the elements of this harvest party along with Chara, who relishes the opportunity to spend time with his fans in this exclusive, intimate annual charity event atmosphere. The uniqueness of this event has certainly caught the attention of the local community, being that it is the only annual charity event with a current Boston Bruins player that is held outside of the Boston area, making it a magnet for Manchester sports fans.
The Boston Bruins mascot Blades and a few of the Bruins Ice Girls also attended on behalf of the Boston Bruins Foundation to support the event. $10,000 was raised and donated to New Hampshire's Hospital for Children through the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation to purchase a much needed medical device for the pediatric unit.6
3rd Annual Big Z Challenge
The 3rd Annual Big Z Challenge was held in October 2013 at The Conference Center at the Elliot at River's Edge. 50 Boston Bruins fans had the opportunity to attend an exclusive carnival-themed event with Chara, playing games, taking photos, getting autographs, and chatting with the Boston Bruins captain. 3 randomly selected fans competed in the "Big Z Challenge", facing Chara in an air-hockey game. Event tickets also included concessions, prizes, games, face-painting, entertainment and more. The event was supported by the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation, and the Boston Bruins Foundation. The Bruins Ice Girls and mascot "Blades" were also in attendance to have some fun with the kids at the event. Thanks to our sponsors and everyone who attended, we were able to raise $10,000 to donate to New Hampshire's Hospital for Children.
2nd Annual Big Z Challenge
The second annual Big Z Challenge was held in September of 2012 at The Conference Center at the Elliot at River's Edge. Two local youth hockey teams, the New Hampshire Avalanche and the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs participated in a shooting challenge with Chara, getting coaching tips from the Big Z himself. Thanks to our sponsors and everyone who attended the event, we were able to raise $10,000 to donate to New Hampshire's Hospital for Children and the Right To Play USA.
