2017 Welcome Letter

MARCH MADNESS
2017 NCAA BASKETBALL POOL

March is here. NCAA basketballʼs grand finale is nearly upon us. 2016 proved even the Cubs can win, so why not your favorite team in this yearʼs pool? No concensus this year, so pick the upsets!
The best three weeks of college sports, the NCAA men's basketball tournament has finally arrived!

Welcome back friends, family, prognosticators, financiers and above all else, contributors. You all know the rules and how the system works, and by God and country, what we stand for, enjoying the games, hoping for a pot of gold, and remembering those that need our help. There will be nobody on the dole in this pool. American creativity and hard work, dedidation by many, and a passion for doing right, is why we are here after all these years.

Our March Madness Endowment Fund was established in 2008. It is professionally run through the Warrick County Community Foundation and the nine county, Community Foundation Alliance. At the end of 2008, the total money in your fund was $ 4097. Currently, the fund has blossomed to a well established endeavor with assets totaling near $ 70,000! We have made several small grants over these years with the interest money allotted by alliance rules, and this will continue throughout the years regardless of whether this basketball pool continues to exist. But that to a larger extent depends on you. Money that grows is money that is given out. This past year we made a grant to Spirit Cheer and this year we have more money to grant. Check out our charities page at the top of the website.

Although your nominal contribution for all this fun is again a requested $ 20 (no change over many years), over 80% of all our charity money raised comes from your additional contributions. Last year was a record! Year after year, individuals contribute from five, to several hundred dollars in additional funding. This of course continues to be the reason for our being. If you havenʼt before, consider this, and drop some extra cash with your entry donation!

There are NO format changes to this yearʼs pool, once again. NCAA basketball tournament selections and seedings will come out shortly today, March 12th. Entry into the tournament closes with the tip off of the first round games beginning Thursday morning, March 16th. See you at the bank on St. Patrickʼs Day! For each entry, fill out the form all the way through to the finals, selecting the winner of each game. Donʼt worry about the play-in games. They donʼt count to the standings.Read the rules sheet!!

Read it please.

Important Tournament Pool information

Each entry donation is $20 (twenty dollars). $5 (five dollars) of every fee will be donated to charity. Again, we encourage you to make an additional contribution, (as the majority of you so kindly do). Remember any additional moneys donated qualify as a tax-deduction, so if you desire proof of such, you may also enclose a separate check made out to one of the charities listed below. I will forward the check (as is) with the rest of the donations. Otherwise, simply make out your check to me, and Mail all checks and additional donations to:

John P. Morgan, MD PO Box 1136 Newburgh, IN 47629

The remainder of the pool will be distributed to the winners as follows:

1st --- 40%            2nd --- 20%              3rd --- 10%             4th --- 7%             5th --- 5%

6th --- 4%              7th --- 3%                 8th --- 3%               9th --- 2%             10th --- 2% 

Last Place --- 4%


$ 100 bonus for the place finish of the total score of the championship game

(Final score Oregon 74 North Carolina 72 means 146th place takes home $ 100. Ties split)

You donʼt need to pick a final score, it will just happen!


Also: Bonus award again for 2017. (Judges discretion and no disputes!) $100 bonus for the GOAT. He (or she) who has the worst bracket who actually tried to win, not tried to come in last place). Your name will be once again in lights!

The website has been updated. (Annual thanks goes to Gary Gurtcheff, our webmaster.) Additionally, we will maintain an index page for you to review rules, interim letters, charity information, periodic updates, and other items of interest, in addition to the standings. We hope you will take the time to peruse the site. Please especially review our charity page. Individual entry fees may also be paid via PayPal. Additional donations may be made directly through a link to the Warrick County Community Foundation and the March Madness Endowment Fund. Additional donations may also be made out by check and sent to me directly at the above address.

2017 Charity Information

We are excited for our 21st anniversary and below are the following charities we plan to donate to this year. Every year it has been different regarding the named charities. The endowment fund lives on. In addition to your pool entry fees, you may certainly (and we encourage you to) send a separate check made out directly to the charity of your choice, and forward to the following address:

John P. Morgan

PO Box 1136

Newburgh, IN 47629-1136

In addition to the March Madness Endowment Fund, the following named charities are to be beneficiaries for our 2017 pool. You may include extra money in your check to me with entry fees, or write a separate check to one of these three and forward to me.

YWCA (tagline - Domestic Violence Shelter)
Newburgh Junior Baseball Booster Club (tagline - Buddy Ball)

Please read the RULES page carefully! Thanks again.
March Madness Charity Committee 

© Gary M. Gurtcheff 2013