5th Holly Heisman Memorial Chess Tournament

Direct from friend site Chessville (lots of friends there, and a few friendly enemies :)): 5th Holly Heisman Memorial Tournament (Tournament Information) Susan Hollis “Holly” Bloom Heisman “Susan Hollis “Holly” Bloom Heisman (1953-1994) was Dan Heisman's first wife, who passed away from breast cancer. Holly worked as a social worker, helping women in need such as runaway teenagers and battered wives. After her passing, Dan’s sister Eileen Heisman, who is a professional gift trust fundraiser, suggested to Dan and his mother that they all pitch in and make contributions to start a charitable trust in Holly’s name at the Philadelphia Foundation (www.philafound.org) to, appropriately, support women in need, specifically those with breast cancer, battered wives, and runaway teens. This was done in 1995 and Eileen was appointed as the primary point of contact with the Foundation. However, by 2001 Eileen had bigger charitable interests to run (like the National Philanthropic Trust, of which she is President), and Dan took over as the point of contact for the Fund with the host Philadelphia Foundation. The Foundation had raised a Fund’s minimum endowed limit to $10,000 in order to generate grants. Dan looked for ways to make the Fund more active. Soon after, he had a brainstorm to create the first charitable chess tournament: he donates his time as organizer and TD, the Kaiserman Jewish Community Center in Wynnewood, PA (just outside Philadelphia) donates a playing room, and the players would play USCF-rated chess for free. In order to attract more players, Dan asked some of his contacts to donate prizes. In turn, the players are asked to voluntarily make contributions to the Holly Heisman Fund. The first event was held in the summer of 2003. Over the years the Holly Heisman Fund has raised over $14,000 towards these charitable ends for the Philadelphia Foundation, thus achieving Dan’s initial goal of “activating” the Fund. About half those funds have been raised via the Holly Heisman Memorial tournament. Among the annual prize donors are Chessville, Plunder Chess, Bookup, House of Staunton, the Internet Chess Club, John Bain, and IM Igor Khmelnitsky. This year is the fifth annual event, and it features two major new sponsors: USCF Executive Director Bill Hall donated a free Tournament Life Announcement (TLA) and radio personality Howard Stern has donated a prize of a tour of his radio studio/show (limited to adults only!) In 2005 Dan decided to create a second charitable Fund at the Philadelphia Foundation, the Dan Heisman Chess Support Fund, which supports scholastic events in the Philadelphia area through the Philadelphia Foundation and the PA State Chess Federation. The 2007 Holly Heisman Memorial tournament will be held Aug 12. It is a five-round swiss, G/30, with three sections: Open, Under 1500, and Scholastic Under 900. More on the event: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/danheisman/Events_Books/Holly_Heisman_Memorial_03.htm To make mail or online donations: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/danheisman/Main_Chess/donations.htm#Holly%Heisman%Fund(under the Chess Support Fund). Thanks! - Dan Heisman If you can do so, darlings, please contribute to this worthy cause. Thank you. Jan (a/k/a JanXena a/k/a Alpheta and my real name is (as if you haven't already figured that out by now)...Janet Newton - ta da!)