# Ball Saver

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2005-09-28  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/katrina.html

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## Analysis

The Free State Pinball Association (FSPA) and Volleyball House organized a joint charity fundraising event on September 24, 2005, in Elkridge, Maryland, raising just over $1,900 for the Salvation Army Hurricane Relief fund following Hurricane Katrina. The event featured 25 pinball machines, a two-division tournament, raffle, and silent auction, with Chris Newsom winning the A-division and receiving a new NASCAR playfield from Stern Pinball.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Just over $1,900 was raised from entrance fees, tournament entries, pinball raffle, auction, and coin drop for Salvation Army Hurricane Relief — _Article states specific fundraising total and beneficiary organization_
- [HIGH] Twenty-five pinball machines were present at the event, brought by local operators and FSPA league members — _Article lists specific machines and indicates their sources_
- [HIGH] Stern Pinball donated a new NASCAR playfield as the A-division tournament prize — _Explicitly stated: 'Chris Newsom won the A-division tournament, taking home a new NASCAR playfield (courtesy of Stern Pinball)'_
- [HIGH] The tournament used a modified PAPA format with four players qualifying for head-to-head elimination finals in each division — _Article specifies tournament structure and format_
- [HIGH] Kevin Martin donated PAPA Player #101 for silent auction, won by Scott Sidley — _Article states: 'Scott Sidley won PAPA Player #101, which was donated by Kevin Martin'_

### Notable Quotes

> "Just over $1900 was raised for the Salvation Army Hurricane Relief fund from the entrance fee, tournament entries, pinball raffle, auction and coin drop."
> — **Article text**
> _Establishes the concrete fundraising outcome of the event_

> "Chris Newsom won the A-division tournament, taking home a new NASCAR playfield (courtesy of Stern Pinball) for his efforts"
> — **Article text**
> _Identifies tournament winner and corporate donation from Stern Pinball_

> "With the great lineup of both rare and recent machines, the pinball tournament and plenty of volleyball play, a great time was had by all, while raising money to help out the relief effort for those who truly need it."
> — **Article text**
> _Summarizes event success and charitable purpose_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Free State Pinball Association (FSPA) | organization | Maryland-based pinball league organization that co-organized the Hurricane Katrina relief fundraiser event in Elkridge, MD |
| Volleyball House | organization | Co-organizer of the joint fundraising event with FSPA in Elkridge, Maryland |
| Stern Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer that donated a new NASCAR playfield as tournament prize and NOS translites for raffle |
| Salvation Army Hurricane Relief | organization | Beneficiary organization of the fundraising event, receiving proceeds from Hurricane Katrina relief efforts |
| Chris Newsom | person | Winner of A-division tournament, received new NASCAR playfield from Stern |
| Rudy Keiser | person | Winner of B-division tournament |
| Scott Sidley | person | Won PAPA Player #101 (first player number) in silent auction |
| Kevin Martin | person | Donated PAPA Player #101 for silent auction to benefit the fundraiser |
| PAPA | organization | Professional pinball tour organization whose player number was auctioned; tournament format was adapted for this event |
| Elkridge, MD | event | Location of the fundraiser event, 15 minutes from downtown Baltimore |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Charity fundraising, Community engagement, Tournament play
- **Secondary:** Pinball machine variety, Stern Pinball corporate support

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Article celebrates successful fundraising event with positive community participation, corporate sponsorship, and charitable impact. Celebratory tone throughout regarding both the money raised and community spirit.

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** FSPA and Volleyball House organized multi-faceted charity event demonstrating pinball community mobilization for disaster relief (confidence: high) — Event raised $1,900+ for Hurricane Katrina relief through combined pinball tournament, raffle, auction, and open play
- **[community_signal]** Stern Pinball provided corporate support through product donations (NASCAR playfield, NOS translites) for the relief fundraiser (confidence: high) — New NASCAR playfield donated as tournament prize; NOS translites donated for raffle

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## Transcript

Story dated
September 28, 2005

Nobody could be unaware of the devastation left by hurricane Katrina on
the American states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, but the
relief effort is being helped thanks to the work of some pinball fans.

The Free State Pinball Association (FSPA) and the Volleyball House
held a joint fundraising pinball and volleyball event on Saturday
September 24th in Elkridge, MD - 15 minutes from downtown Baltimore.
Just over $1900 was raised for the Salvation Army Hurricane Relief
fund from the entrance fee, tournament entries, pinball raffle,

auction and coin drop.

Twenty five machines were there, brought both by local operators and
FSPA league members, including: NASCAR, Ripley's Believe it or Not,
Black Knight 2000, Doctor Who,Spectrum, Special Force, Eight Ball
Deluxe, Sopranos, Maverick, Meteor, Simpsons Pinball Party, Road Show,
Monster Bash, Asteroid Annie and the Aliens, Seawitch, High Speed, No
Good Gofers, Baywatch, The Shadow, Demolition Man, World Cup Soccer,
Road Show, Theatre of Magic and Monopoly.

The pinball tournament side of the event featured two divisions, with
four machines reserved for tournament play in each division. The
tournament was run using a modified PAPA format for qualifying, with
four players qualifying for head-to-head elimination play in the
finals. Chris Newsom won the A-division tournament, taking home a
new NASCAR playfield (courtesy of Stern Pinball) for his efforts,
while Rudy Keiser won the B-division.

Besides the tournament and open play, there was also a pinball raffle,
featuring a variety of donated items, including a selection of NOS
Translites from Stern, and a silent auction for the coveted first
player number for next year's PAPA. Scott Sidley won PAPA Player
#101, which was donated by Kevin Martin.

With the great lineup of both rare and recent machines, the pinball
tournament and plenty of volleyball play, a great time was had by all,
while raising money to help out the relief effort for those who truly
need it.

For more information about the FSPA and pinball leagues in
Maryland and Virginia, please visit: http://fspazone.org/

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_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 9ff46faf-eea2-4677-9404-01267b6a3ff0*