I returned home from the 13th annual Vermont Summer Classic in Vermont two weeks ago. After another successful weekend of raising money for SlamT1D and kids and families battling type 1 diabetes, I thought to myself:

How do I raise the bar for next year?

Every year there is a new milestone. Our team — Red, White & Brew — raised almost $27,000, which ranked third overall. The tournament itself raised more than $430,000 by a bunch of people who wanted to help kick T1D in the butt and play some epic wiffleball at the same time.

Each and every year, that bar gets higher and higher thanks to a lot of hard working and generous people.

But how do we ensure we’re actively helping raise that bar?

At the same time, I was thinking about how I just felt like crap most of the weekend. As a team we did great — we lost in the semifinals for the second straight year — but I was disappointed with myself on the field. I didn’t do a whole lot well and I was frustrated. Nothing felt quite right for me.

It’s no secret that I’m one of the biggest guys on the field during the entire tournament weekend. I’ve battled weight issues my entire life. I’ve been as low as 228 pounds shortly after college, to as high as 370 pounds going into college. It’s been a challenge for as long as I can remember.

But that’s when I had an epiphany: Could I help myself while at the same time help others?

And that’s when it clicked.

There is less than a year until the 14th annual Vermont Summer Classic, which kicks off on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. What if I put all my energy toward one year of trying to lose weight? What could I achieve? And, at the same time, could I parlay that into money for SlamT1D and those kids who need it the most?

The answer is yes.

My goal is to get 100 or more pledges by Jan. 1 and tie those to my future weight loss. How will it work? You can pledge any dollar amount and based on how many pounds I lose when I weigh in on Aug. 7, that’s how much you would donate. I weighed in on Monday, Aug. 12, at 318 pounds, which is officially my starting weight.

For example: If you pledge $1 per pound lost and I lose 37 pounds by the time I step on the scale on Aug. 7, you’d donate $37. If you pledge $3 per pound lost and I lose 21 pounds by that date, you’d donate $63.

Every single dollar donated will go to SlamT1D.

Each pledge is critical. It means someone is taking a chance on me, and it’s also gives me a boost in this journey. Now that this idea is “public” and active, I have too much on the line. I don’t want to let down my teammates, SlamT1D, the kids and families who need the money and, of course, myself.

This space is where I’m going to talk about everything over the next year. I will go into more details as the weeks and months unfold, but this is the place where you’ll see all my updates: the good, the bad and the ugly. Watch my social media channels — or just bookmark this site — to see the latest blogs when they drop.

To make a pledge, please click this link. You can also message me and I’d be happy to log the information. I’ll also update this website with how many donations we have left to hit 100. The goal is to hit 100 pledges by Jan. 1, 2025. Of course, we’ll take more than 100 pledges, too.

I know it all sounds a little crazy, but most of the best ideas have a touch of crazy in them. It’s exciting to think where this could lead to by next August.

A lot of magic can happen in a year.