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WIU Alumnus Sam Annable is hoping to help a critically ill child watch this year's Super Bowl game live.
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WIU Alum Motivated to Trade Up to Help Others

July 23, 2012

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MACOMB, IL – Trading on a pair of dice he found on his coffee table, a 2011 Western Illinois University alumnus hopes he can get a critically ill child into the crowd for the 2013 Super Bowl.

Marketing graduate Sam Annable, who grew up in Fulton County, is using his marketing degree from WIU to help others. Since graduation, Annable has been working as an account executive for the Peoria Chiefs minor league baseball team.

"Since moving to Peoria and starting my career I knew I wanted to get involved with helping others," Annable said. "I knew I was very fortunate to already have landed the job that I wanted to start my career and decided it was time to give back to those who may not be as fortunate as I am."

While researching ideas, Annable remembered a story he'd heard about a man who began with a red paper clip and made a series to trades that eventually ended up with a house.

"I thought I could use the same idea toward charity," he said. "I combined that with my love for sports and that was the birth of my project."

Annable began the process with the dice initially just because it was something small to start with. But as he pondered the program's path he realized there was symbolism to his decision.

"The child that I want to send to the Super Bowl in the end takes a roll of the dice everyday," he said.
"They may have procedures or operations that may be very risky, so in a way, the dice symbolize his or her life and the odds that are against them."

Trading opened just over one month ago and Annable has already made two trades.

The dice were initially traded for a 1994 Alex Rodriguez rookie baseball card. About one week ago the card was traded for a game model Ike Davis A2000 baseball glove made by Wilson. The glove is rare because it is custom made for Davis, a New York Mets baseball player.

Annable is writing a blog about the trading progress, which is available at twobluedice.blogspot.com. He also has a Twitter account @TwoBlueDice.

Eventually Annable hopes to trade up to tickets to the Super Bowl, but will also consider selling a valuable traded item to get the money for the tickets. He has not yet chosen a recipient, but hopes to work with Peoria-based children's groups to locate a child.

Annable will also be collecting donations to help with travel to the Super Bowl and with the child's medical expenses.

"So far the support has been good," he said. "It is pretty hard to get the word out all by myself while still working full time but I am putting a lot of effort into making sure this is going to happen. I am trying to reach out to people who I think can help by posting it on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter."

Donations can be mailed in care of Annable to Peoria Chiefs Community Baseball, 730 SW Jefferson St., Peoria, IL, 61605.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing