February 18, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets Since October of 2013, the Comets have made an overwhelmingly positive impact on the Mohawk Valley. Both on and off the ice, the Comets continue to succeed and create an exciting environment for the community. One of the most successful components of a Comets game day, however, might not be what most people might have expected coming into the season.

The Utica Comets 50/50 has been a key facet of every game day here at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Managed by Janice Martino, a dedicated youth hockey parent, the total pot has not dropped below $2,000 yet this year, with the record breaking total of $15,436 coming on January 31st, 2014. This total also set the record in the AHL for this season. January 31st was also Pink the Rink, a night dedicated to honoring those affected by breast cancer. It just so happened that, by chance, of course, the 50/50 winner was a breast cancer survivor. "It's nights like those," Janice Martino explained, "when I know that I am lucky to be a part of something so special going on in my hometown."

For someone with no initial experience managing a 50/50 system, Martino immediately knew that she wanted to be a part of the inaugural season. "When I was asked to shoulder the responsibility of administrating the 50/50, I didn't hesitate. I have three boys who play youth hockey and have always been very involved in Mohawk Valley youth hockey since they began playing," she said. "As a family, we spend huge amounts of time in that building and my boys feel that building is their home. When the announcement came that the Comets were coming, we weren't immediately sure what that would mean to our organization. What has happened since has been extraordinary. Mr. Esche has been so supportive of youth hokey in our area and in our building in particular. His vision for our area and the Utica Jr. Comets is larger than life." Martino explained that the proceeds go directly to the Save of the Day Foundation, and in turn, they donate a portion to the Utica Jr. Comets youth hockey program.

Most people may not realize how much time and planning goes into running a successful 50/50 system. "Game day planning begins a month earlier with an e-mail sent out to all Jr. Comet parents looking for volunteers for that month's games," Martino explained. "For each game, I require a minimum of seven people to volunteer to make this thing work. There's really no direct benefit for them, either. They are too busy to actually watch the game and are generally in building for four hours." Despite being volunteers, Martino raves about the staff she works with. "I have been blessed with the absolute best volunteer staff imaginable," she exclaimed. "We have a blast on game day. When you get a group of people together who are willing to give of themselves for a worthy cause, you can bet they are a group you enjoy being around."

On an actual Comets game day, Martino begins her day around 4:30, making sure everything is in order for the evening. The printers and handhelds have to be checked to make sure they're working. Most people don't realize that each ticket has to be physically printed, per NY State requirements. These tickets also have to be saved for three years. "Some of the game day tasks are simple, such as getting the t-shirts for the sellers, stocking paper, getting starting cash for each seller etc," she described. "Some tasks are more detailed because of all the technology involved in our system."

After the sellers work their magic during the game, Martino awaits the winning number, which is usually drawn with about a third of the third period remaining. She must wait until the printer prints all of the tickets, which can be a wait as the printers can easily get backed up. "Contrary to what some people believe, with the exception of opening night, every prize has been claimed," she added. "I could probably tell you a story about almost any winner that has claimed a prize to date. There's always something special about the win. I've had birthday boys, pregnant moms, and a guy who had to fish the winning ticket out from behind the glass."

Janice Martino's night doesn't end when the building clears out. There's a lot of cleaning up to do, logging out of volunteers and counting money. Despite Martino being one of the last to leave The AUD, she wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

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Comets Corner: 50/50