March is once again here. Spring is springing. Flowers will bloom. The sun will shine, Weather will be warmer but you can’t afford gas. NCAA basketballʼs greatest week is upon us. And so are we, Covid be damned. We are in our 27th year. There again is no concensus favorite this year, the field is wide open, and the lower seeds are good this year. So pick the upsets! You will be rewarded. 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. No rules changes, but send me your checks. Pay Pal or Venmo is fine. See and read the rules page carefully. Some changes this year
Our March Madness Endowment Fund was established in 2008. It is professionally run through the nine county, Community Foundation Alliance out of Evansville, IN. 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 over $140,000! We have eclipsed our original goal of six figures finally and we would like that to grow more. 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 can be given out. Check out our charities page at the top of the website. Although your nominal contribution for all this fun is small, over 80% of all our charity money raised comes from your additional contributions. 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 on Sunday, March 13th. Entry into the tournament closes with the tip off of the first round games beginning Thursday morning, March 17th. 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 on Tuesday and Wednesday. They donʼt count to the standings. But you can pick “play in winner” if you wish for the real first round on Thursday. Read the rules sheet!!
Important Tournament Pool information
Entry donation is $25 (twenty-five dollars). $10 of each initial entry will be donated to charity, $15 will go to the prize pool. For multiple entrees, each entry is $25. 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 we have named. 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% 6th --- 4%
2nd --- 20% 7th --- 3%
3rd --- 10% 8th --- 3%
4th --- 7% 9th --- 2%
5th --- 5% 10th --- 2%
Last Place --- 4%
$100 bonus for the place finish of the total score of the championship game
(Final score Dayton 74 Baylor 72 means 146th place). Winner takes home $100. Ties split. You donʼt need to pick a final score, it will just happen!
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. Additional donations may also be made out by check and sent to me directly at the above address.
2022 Charity Information
We are excited for our 27th year. The March Madness 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, additional named charities are to be beneficiaries for our 2022 pool. Further information to follow. You may include extra money in your check to me with entry fees, or write a separate check and forward to the above address.
This years’s additional charities are as follows:
- Borrowed Hearts Foundation (borrowedheartsfoundation.org)
- Tri-State Food Bank (tristatefoodbank.org)
Thanks again.
March Madness Committee