Cubs fans aim to cremate curses

CHICAGO, March 17 (UPI) -- Fans of the Chicago Cubs have organized a "Cremating the Curse" event to burn memorabilia related to the various curses blamed for 100 years of futility.

Organizers of the event, scheduled for 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 5 at Michael's Funeral Home in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, are inviting fans to bring burnable memorabilia related to the Fred Merkle curse of 1908, the billy goat curse of 1945, the black cat curse of 1969 and the curse of Steve Bartman's 2003 haunting of Wrigley Field, the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald reported Tuesday.

The memorabilia will be cremated and stored in a Cubs-themed urn.

Can't Miss Press, the event's organizer and publisher of "Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year," said Cubs-related guests slated to appear at the event include former outfielder Gene Hiser, team super-fan Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers and Pat Brickhouse, widow of Cubs' longtime broadcaster Jack Brickhouse.

George Rawlinson, president of Can't Miss Press, said the event is about celebrating the culture of the team that hasn't won a World Series for more than a century.

"The Cubs are a lot more than just baseball," Rawlinson said. "There's a lot of ambiance at Wrigley Field."

The $10 entry fee for the event will go to Chicago-area baseball charities.