blog post courtesy of Dawn Vermillion

One day when I was on Facebook I found some very intriguing information from an organization called The Project Pinball Charity.
I decided to investigate the site to see what this organization was all about.

I quickly found out that this organization helps put pinball machines in Children Hospital’s and Ronald McDonald Houses. They are an official non-profit organization; meaning they solely run on donations they receive through the community. They raise this money through donations, selling of their merchandise, running online pinball machine raffles, and going to gaming expos. I thought to myself… wow such a wonderful way to give to children. Here are these children in a hospital setting with a potential deadly disease and what better way to help them and to keep their minds free and happy then to play pinball!

I know that children of all ages love to play games and they all should be able to play and have fun, just like all other kids their age.

I could only imagine seeing their faces light up when they see the shiny pinball machine with all its lights, sounds, and images to open their minds and give them a new hope to get up each day and enjoy every second that day gives them. The Project Pinball Charity’s Facebook and other social media outlets that I have come across have helped me see that for myself. The look on the children’s faces is like a mirror into a happy place far away from the real pain of life.

As I reminisce of playing on a pinball machine when I was young in an arcade; I look back and wish there was an organization around like this back in the day. Playing pinball now can be a new way to help others go into their fantasy world while they are playing. Instead, of trying to fight a disease or illness they fight the pinball machine to get that high score, smile, and know they did win that day.

I know hard work pays off and the Love Across America Tour is in its 4th year and going strong. It is a wonderful way to network and show the country all the amazing things that Project Pinball does. It allows the people that support Project Pinball have the opportunity to meet some of the team members in person. Scheduling over 11 states to visit with many more places to stop in between. This tour is a true dedication from the Project Pinball team and how much it means for them to go around America and meet people that may become a potential long-term sponsor of their mission or a friend for life.

The Love Across America Tour takes the Project Pinball Team to many great shows that have organizations that support Project Pinball. These organizations help network with extraordinary talent and allows for great exposure for Project Pinball. Also, by utilizing social networking so America and beyond can see in person what is going on in real time.
From what I have seen remarkable things happen because of the hard work and dedication that the Project Pinball team gives to this charity. They have a great source of networking with others and they find out what loyalty is with all the supporters of the organization, including their own team’s dedication.

People will give and enjoy giving when they know their money is going to a great cause. The more Project Pinball is seen and heard about, the more the message gets through of the remarkable things they are doing for the children.

Seeing is believing and as I review the video of the dedications and the images from all the people and places that the organization meets just fills me with immense joy. I just think of how miracles happen daily to bring the Project Pinball team together with so many people in hospitals, at events, and in emails/phone calls. This organization is helping bring people together for a greater calling and know that God is supporting Project Pinball in a very fruitful way.

Northwest News in Fort Wayne, Indiana reported on the recent rise of Lauren Hockemeyer and Garrett Meekin who recently earned themselves a Biggest Mover award in the IFPA World Pinball Player Rankings. Click HERE to read the article.

We’re halfway through the 2018-19 IFPA North American Championship Series season, and we couldn’t be more excited about how this season is shaping up.

We currently have 51 States and Provinces included in the NACS with over 11,000 players participating. This will all culminate in the various IFPA State Championship and Provincial Championship finals held across the continent. These finals will all be held simultaneously on January 19th, 2019, with over 1000 finalists competing for not only a State/Provincial Championship title, but also a spot in the IFPA North American Pinball Championship.

New for this year, we have currently collected over $40,000 in endorsement fees across the 1870 events that have been played in North America so far this year. Also new is the establishment of “Super States” which will expand the number of qualifiers from 16 to 24. Any State/Province with at least 400 unique players and 100 unique events will be eligible. So far through half the year we’ve already seen 4 States hit this level (Washington, Michigan, Ohio and Texas).

View the current NACS standings and prize money distribution HERE.

A reminder that the official satellite spots for the IFPA16 World Pinball Championship will come from the 2018-19 IFPA North American Pinball Championship, and the 2018-19 IFPA European Pinball Championship. The highest finisher in each final that has not yet qualified for IFPA16 will win a free spot into the World Championship.

blog post courtesy of Nitro Pinball

Our first annual Vancouver FlipOut Pinball Expo, held in September of 2016 was a fantastic success: Old school arcade classics and the latest cutting edge pinball technology; a local autistic pinball prodigy, competitive and amateur tournaments, the world’s largest pinball machine, and much more. 2017 proved to be an even bigger success and prompted our move to a larger venue for 2018!

Hundreds of visitors attend our three-day expo in Downtown Vancouver with over 100 pinball & arcade machines set to free play, guest speakers, vendors and tournaments for all ages and skills.

Mondo thanks to everyone that helped, supported, sponsored & attended! None of this would be possible without the incredible team involved. This truly was a magnificent gathering of pinheads from around the world! I look forward to VFO 2018, at our new home The Roundhouse in Yaletown. As Oscar Goldman would say “Better, stronger, faster!” — See you Sep 7-9, 2018!

Click HERE for more details

blog post courtesy of Alessio Crisantemi

Daniele Acciari from Rome has triumphed, winning the title of 2018 Pinball Italian Champion, in the eSports & Pinball event at Qlash House.

Treviso, Italy – A real triumph that of Daniele Acciari in the Luca Pagano’s Qlash House, where he won the title of 2018 sports pinball Italian Champion. And he does it “in his own way”, that is achieving a nothing short surreal score on a pinball machine still almost unknown to the players, as the brand new “Iron Maiden” by Stern Pinball, proposed in national preview at the “eSports & Pinball” event, thanks to the partnership between Ifpa Italia – organizer of the event – and the Chicago producer, together with its Italian distributor Tecnoplay.
Second place for the Venetian player Daniele Baldan, while the outgoing Italian champion, Roberto Pedroni, must be satisfied with the third place. Fourth place for the Swiss Levente Tregova.
A success came at the end of the two days of great entertainment went on stage in Villorba, near Treviso, during which the pinball event took place alongside that of videogames, with a competition on the famous game “Herthstone”.

In addition to the main tournament won by Acciari, a side tournament was also played on only “classic” pinball machines (that is the vintage pinball machines of the Sixties and Seventies).
Here Pablo Iacoponi from Pisa won, before the Roman Gabriele Tedeschi and the British number one in the UK ranking, Rick Mallett.

SPACE TO VIRTUAL PINBALL TOO– However, the real news has been represented by the virtual pinball tournament: a competition that represented the middle way between the world of sports pinball and that of competitive videogames. The player Davide Della Ianna from Lombardia won the virtual tournament, before Mirko Plumari and the Slovenian Ales Rebec. But space also for women, with the Italian delegation of the International Pinball Association, which also awarded the best player of the event: Antonella Iannotta, who prevailed over the other participants. To celebrate sports pinball women and the virtual tournament winners, a series of gadgets and trophies were directly sent from Stern Pinball in Chicago, partner of the event together with Tecnoplay and Double Pinball.

More press for back-to-back World Pinball Champion Raymond Davidson. KING5 News out in Seattle checks it his growing collection of WWE LE machines. Click HERE to watch the piece.

Here are the May 2018 IFPA winners for Player of the Month and Biggest Movers:

Player of the Month:
Julio Vicario Soriano (251.38 WPPR’s)

Biggest Movers:
Lauren Hockemeyer (+17,692 spots), Mark Walz (+13,779 spots) and Garrett Meekin (+9,322 spots)

These players have now all qualified for the Stern Rewards Program for 2018. Congrats to everyone!

Safe to say Raymond Davidson is now Mukilteo’s most popular celebrity. Click HERE to read the piece by the Mukilteo Beacon.

blog post courtesy of Elizabeth Cromwell

Like H.B. Reese bringing chocolate and peanut butter together, Replay Foundation is bringing together two great causes for a common (delicious) goal. 50% of all money donated will benefit the Women’s International Pinball Tournament (WIPT) prize pool. The other 50% will benefit our friends at Path of Play, helping children and families touched by autism.

Click HERE to find out more information.

64 of the world’s greatest players traveled from 18 countries to compete in the 15th Annual International Flipper Pinball Association’s World Pinball Championship, June 1-3, 2018, in Keswick, Ontario, Canada. After nearly 3 days of intense competitive pinball, the tournament came down to Raymond Davidson vs Daniele Acciari, who battled it out for the title of World Pinball Champion. Watch video of the final round HERE.

Games played: Cheetah, The Shadow, Attack from Mars and Surf ‘n Safari. Commentary by Levi Nayman, Jack Tadman, Tim Sexton and Greg Povarelli.

— Watch live at http://www.twitch.tv/buffalopinball