1st Annual Toast to Paul August 14 6pm at Novita ( start time 5pm ) and Simultaneous Zoom for worldwide Redfans and much more details below

Sorry I had to miss the toast, as it goes without saying this was extremely well deserved.

Cannot stress enough how through Paul’s pure labor of love, created a wonderful sports fan site. But sports was only redmen.com/red.fans second most important achievement.

This site became our defacto place to leave our real world problems behind. It was a place where friendships were made and rekindled.

And he was very caring. Paul would quietly reach out to me asking and praying about my family during their health crisis.

To Paul’s family, please take as much solace as possible knowing how beloved he was and how much happiness he brought to this community. We are forever grateful.

To that, I raise a glass to the father of this wonderful site.

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Eric said:
Great get together to acknowledge Paul. Really do enjoy chatting with the guys not just about St. John’s basketball but plenty other stuff. Was great to meet max and you can tell how much he realizes what his dad has created.

Also loved some of the scenery at novita tonight. Especially a specific blonde lol.
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“Also loved some of the scenery at novita tonight. Especially a specific blonde lol.”

Yeah we know, you got a little distracted a couple of times as did a few others.
 
Always a great time meeting new posters and talking hoops. I can talk about St John's basketball all day . Mike thank you for everything you are doing , and for putting yesterday together.

Big shout out to TommyO who was the man last night showing love to everyone, great vibes. Finding out that Max Massell is half Ecuadorian like myself was pretty cool .

God bless everyone that was there , and on the zoom , and that donated.
 
So great last night at Novita meeting so many Redfans guys in person and all that Zoomed in. To Mike and TommyO and anyone else that helped pull of this special event, thank you. The best part was meeting Paul's son Matt, who flew in from Oklahoma just for the event. What a classy young man and a pleasure to speak to and hear stories about his dad. Can't wait for the half time tribute to Paul and his family. Thanks again all!
Let's go Johnnies!!
 
A lot has been already said about Las night and I agree with all the great things that were said. To a man every one at Novita (and on the zoom) were present not so much to.
mourn Paul, but to thank him and his family in the best way possible- by helping them with out. Very few people can navigate the costs of a catastrophic long term illness. Insurance goes only so.far, and though we have the best healthcare on earth, there are deductibles, out of network costs, copay, maximum hospital days and many other costs that can overwhelm hard working families. Then of course there is the issue of making up the loss of income sustained by families. In a word it sucks.

What Red.fans has done is incredible. A long time ago I started a memorial fund for a classmate that still has assets today. I say this not to bring any attention to myself but to tell you how amazing Mike Maher is as a human being. Mike knows more of us than anyone, and has rallied the troops to give, give some more, and even more again. More than anyone here he has been deeply affected by Paul's passing and it's that deep heartfelt grief that Mike turned into action. I'd say God bless Mike but He already has. My prayer then is for God to continue to bless Mike and Nat. One of the very best that sju has produced.

In no way does singling out Mike diminish the amazing generosity and work many others have done in the wake of Paul's death. Mike is the first to say that. I told him to soak it on, because he just led a fantastic response and I don't think anyone else could have done this as well.

Now for Max - well he and I go way back to an evening where his youngest brother got to play bball at halftime at CA when he was about ten. I'd been texting Paul during the game and then met Max, two of his brothers, his sister, and Paul's mom. I showed them the then brand new HOF room and we took photos.

Max is an incredible man. I'll call him that because it's how his mom Kay refers to him. He came here last night from Tulsa, for the sole purpose of extending his family's deep thanks for the help red.fans has provided. Max was living in Virginia, came home to help.out during the dark days of the worst of Paul's illness. On his own volition, he is going to stay in Tulsa to.be a guiding force for his youngest brother who is now 16 with no timetable on when he will leave.

I.hope Max stays active as a poster on red.fans. We could learn a lot from him, and last night he made a mess of new friends. As the saying goes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and in this case both Paul and Kay have built a terrific family. We are all blessed to know them and will continue to know them better over time.

God bless you all.
 
Beasts of the East said:
A lot has been already said about Las night and I agree with all the great things that were said. To a man every one at Novita (and on the zoom) were present not so much to.
mourn Paul, but to thank him and his family in the best way possible- by helping them with out. Very few people can navigate the costs of a catastrophic long term illness. Insurance goes only so.far, and though we have the best healthcare on earth, there are deductibles, out of network costs, copay, maximum hospital days and many other costs that can overwhelm hard working families. Then of course there is the issue of making up the loss of income sustained by families. In a word it sucks.

What Red.fans has done is incredible. A long time ago I started a memorial fund for a classmate that still has assets today. I say this not to bring any attention to myself but to tell you how amazing Mike Maher is as a human being. Mike knows more of us than anyone, and has rallied the troops to give, give some more, and even more again. More than anyone here he has been deeply affected by Paul's passing and it's that deep heartfelt grief that Mike turned into action. I'd say God bless Mike but He already has. My prayer then is for God to continue to bless Mike and Nat. One of the very best that sju has produced.

In no way does singling out Mike diminish the amazing generosity and work many others have done in the wake of Paul's death. Mike is the first to say that. I told him to soak it on, because he just led a fantastic response and I don't think anyone else could have done this as well.

.
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Not too many times in my life am I speechless

This would be one. Thank you very much
 
Beasts of the East said:
A lot has been already said about Las night and I agree with all the great things that were said. To a man every one at Novita (and on the zoom) were present not so much to.
mourn Paul, but to thank him and his family in the best way possible- by helping them with out. Very few people can navigate the costs of a catastrophic long term illness. Insurance goes only so.far, and though we have the best healthcare on earth, there are deductibles, out of network costs, copay, maximum hospital days and many other costs that can overwhelm hard working families. Then of course there is the issue of making up the loss of income sustained by families. In a word it sucks.

What Red.fans has done is incredible. A long time ago I started a memorial fund for a classmate that still has assets today. I say this not to bring any attention to myself but to tell you how amazing Mike Maher is as a human being. Mike knows more of us than anyone, and has rallied the troops to give, give some more, and even more again. More than anyone here he has been deeply affected by Paul's passing and it's that deep heartfelt grief that Mike turned into action. I'd say God bless Mike but He already has. My prayer then is for God to continue to bless Mike and Nat. One of the very best that sju has produced.

In no way does singling out Mike diminish the amazing generosity and work many others have done in the wake of Paul's death. Mike is the first to say that. I told him to soak it on, because he just led a fantastic response and I don't think anyone else could have done this as well.

Now for Max - well he and I go way back to an evening where his youngest brother got to play bball at halftime at CA when he was about ten. I'd been texting Paul during the game and then met Max, two of his brothers, his sister, and Paul's mom. I showed them the then brand new HOF room and we took photos.

Max is an incredible man. I'll call him that because it's how his mom Kay refers to him. He came here last night from Tulsa, for the sole purpose of extending his family's deep thanks for the help red.fans has provided. Max was living in Virginia, came home to help.out during the dark days of the worst of Paul's illness. On his own volition, he is going to stay in Tulsa to.be a guiding force for his youngest brother who is now 16 with no timetable on when he will leave.

I.hope Max stays active as a poster on red.fans. We could learn a lot from him, and last night he made a mess of new friends. As the saying goes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and in this case both Paul and Kay have built a terrific family. We are all blessed to know them and will continue to know them better over time.

God bless you all.
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Amazing post and couldn't agree more.
 
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