RACKIN' UP FOR A CURE Pool shooters raise money for research

The event already met the $4,350 goalorganizers set.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- James Burgandine was happy to watch people put their money up to take a shot at beating him.
After all, the money was going to a good cause, and "The Railroader," as the Niles resident is known, is happy to play pool.
"I've been shooting a long time," he says, as he points to a picture on the wall of Rack's Cafe on North Main Street. It shows him playing in 1952. "I was just a young pup there."
Burgandine was one of the house players at the first challenge table for the Rackin' Up for a Cure event Friday. Employees and patrons of Rack's Cafe dreamed up the event last month as a way to raise money for the Niles Relay for Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society.
Michael Flick, a senior at Niles McKinley High School, said he was at Rack's exactly 28 days ago with others trying to come up with new ideas for the pool hall.
"I had run in the relay for the past two years, and the idea kind of just crossed my mind that we could shoot pool for 24 hours as a way to make some money," he said.
"I talked with a few other people, and the whole thing just snowballed and blew up and here we are."
How things went
Dawn "Dee" Devaney, who co-chaired the event with Flick, said more than 80 people signed up at $50 a person to shoot pool from noon Friday to noon today.
"Once we had four people signed up, we assigned them to a team captain," Devaney said. "Then, each team was responsible for coming up with a themed basket for the Chinese Auction."
More than 25 baskets with themes like "Fun in the Sun" or "NASCAR Easter" were turned in by the players and local businesses, she said.
"These people just went well above and beyond what we asked them to do," Devaney said.
The baskets, as well as several other prizes, will be awarded at noon today.
Between the registration fees and the donations for the auction, she added, the event had already reached its goal of $4,350.
"It's just been incredible what they've been able to do in such a short time," said Pam Wilson, a representative from the American Cancer Society. "They've just done a fantastic job."
slshaulis@vindy.com