A professional sports team is nothing without its fans. The Baltimore Blast is no different.
When the team takes the turf Friday for the first game of The Major Indoor Soccer League championship series at the 1st Mariner Arena, its loyal fan club will be there.
President Vickie Dulko said there are about 175 members in the club, which was founded during the existence of the original Blast team that played from 1980 to 1992.
“The membership changes every season, but we have about 100 returnees every year,” said Dulko, who has been the Blast Fan Club president since 2006.
“We will take bus trips to away games, too,” Dulko said.
The club was not able to make it to Milwaukee to see the Blast advance to its third championship series in four years, but has previously traveled to Cleveland, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Buffalo, N.Y..
Dulko said the club holds several annual events for the players and their families. “Before the season, we usually have a picnic. In the winter, we throw a holiday party, and at the end of the year we have a banquet,” Dulko said.
The Baltimore Blast Fan Club also runs several charity promotions. Dulko said the club sponsors a season-long food drive for the Hope Lodge in Baltimore and has also gathered unsold tickets and used them to bring groups from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Recently, the fan club took part in a raffle of a painting by Robert Florio, a quadriplegic artist and fan club member. Don Bonn, a club member and friend of Florio, said that the raffle raised nearly $5,000 for Florio?s medical needs.
Bonn has only been a club member for three seasons, but has been a season ticket holder for nearly 25 years.
“I am the guy behind the opposing goalkeeper with the megaphone,” Bonn said. The antics of Bonn and the presence of the Baltimore Blast Fan Club have been recognized around the league. Joe Konopacki was the president of the fan club before Dulko.
“All the other MISL teams have come to us to help them set up clubs,” Konopacki said.
DETONATING THE BLAST
» Joe Konopacki served as the president of the Baltimore Blast Fan Club before Dulko. He said that in the bylaws of the club, members are nicknamed the Detonators.
» Bonn said his good-spirited heckling is appreciated by opposing teams in the league. “Kids can listen to it,” Bonn said. “I don?t say anything personal or over the line. It is a love-hate relationship.”
