Dan and Ilene Fishbein Honored at Team Championships
03.10.13 At the recently-completed team championships, Cape Elizabeth chess organizers, promoters and parents of one of the highest-rated players in the state, Dan and Ilene Fishbein, received accolades, a chess trophy and a restaurant gift certificate as thanks for their many years of hard work and dedication to the Maine chess community. Just before the high school team championship trophies were awarded, fellow Cape Elizabeth chess parent Mark Parker presented the awards to the Fishbeins amid applause and gratitude from onlookers. Congratulations Dan and Ilene and thank you for all you do to promote chess in Maine.
Among Dan and Ilene's many accomplishments for Maine chess are:
1. Started a Saturday morning scholastic chess club at Cape Elizabeth Community Services. This club has been going for many years. They often supervise it or arrange supervision.
2. Organize and teach elementary level chess classes for the past few years. They donate proceeds of this to the scholastic chess club
3. Arranged for USCF to do an annual summer chess camp in Cape Elizabeth for about 6 or 7 years now.
4. Manage an email scholastic chess group with periodic information about local chess and tournament opportunities
5. Applied for and received an educational foundation grant to obtain the "Think Like a King" software teaching program for the local middle school.
6. Participate in annual chess club fundraisers at Cape's "Family Fun Day" in the spring.
7. Organized and led/supervised many of Cape's chess teams in past 7-8 years. Includes three K-6 championships, two K-8 championships, one high school championship, and a number of individual player championships.
8. Organized teams and travel for Supernationals in 2009 and 2013. (The high school team is going this year.)
9. Nurtured Matthew's development, which adds to the spotlight on Cape Elizabeth chess and Maine chess in general.
10. Organized and provided transport/supervision of many scholastic players to countless tournaments of all types.
Thank you Dan and Ilene for all you do for chess in Maine!
Comments
On behalf of MECA and the entire Maine chess community - thank you Dan and Ilene!
Posted by: Andy Bryan | March 10, 2013 3:18 PM
Thank you to the Parkers, Hatems, Smiths, Dininnos, Hansels, Frecceros and Dinersteins for thinking of us and honoring us at the tournament. It was unexpected and unnecessary, but greatly appreciated. While we appreciate the award, we are part of a group of dedicated parent volunteers, including all those mentioned, who have worked to support scholastic chess in Cape Elizabeth and the surrounding area. We also want to recognize Dan DeLuca, who started our chess program by teaching our kids and inspiring them to love chess while at Cape Elizabeth Community Services (before he moved to Featherfoot Farm in Aurora), and the parents of Deer Isle-Stonington, who have always been our inspiration and whose program we still are far from replicating.
We were struck yesterday by one example of how much influence a kids chess club can have. Max Berube, who is from South Portland but played at our club for years, as a UMaine student is now the coach of the Orono HS team. To all the parents out there who volunteer in Maine chess, keep going, as scholastic chess can influence lives in many ways beyond the obvious and beyond chess.
Dan and Ilene
Posted by: Dan Fishbein | March 10, 2013 1:41 PM
Dan & Ilene,
Thanks for helping contribute to my many Chess Maine memories. It is wonderful to know such supportive and exceptional chess parents. I hope our paths cross at a big tournament again soon.
-Steve
Posted by: Steve Abrahams | March 10, 2013 12:18 PM