25TH ANNUAL GREAT SPORTS LEGENDS DINNER TO HONOR WILLIE MAYS, BILL RUSSELL, MICHAEL IRVIN, DAN MARINO, JACK NICKLAUS, TOM BROKAW, ANNIKA SORENSTAM AND MORE

 
Landmark Event is Presented by Stewart Rahr

Bob Costas Returns as Emcee for New York Fundraiser on Monday, September 27 to benefit The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis

 

New York, NY (July 27, 2010) – Celebrating a quarter-century of honoring champions while working toward a cure for paralysis, the 25th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner, presented by Stewart Rahr, will be held at New York’s Waldorf=Astoria Hotel on Monday, September 27.  Bob Costas returns as the Master of Ceremonies for the much anticipated event, which benefits The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, which serves as the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the world’s most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center.

The silver anniversary of the Great Sports Legends Dinner will celebrate the fundraising efforts of the Buoniconti family and numerous longtime Buoniconti Fund supporters who continue to stand up for those who can’t.  This year represents a major milestone for The Miami Project, which was founded in 1985 by Dr. Barth Green and NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti on behalf of his son, Marc Buoniconti.  Since then, the Great Sports Legends Dinner has honored more than 274 sports legends and honorees and raised millions for The Miami Project’s spinal cord injury research programs.

The 2010 Great Sports Legends include:
•    Willie Mays – MLB Hall of Famer, 24-time All-Star selection, elected to the
      MLB All-Century Team
•    Bill Russell – NBA Hall of Famer, named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history
•    Michael Irvin – NFL Hall of Famer, Dallas Cowboys three-time Super Bowl champion
•    Brian Leetch – NY Rangers Hall of Fame defenseman and Stanley Cup Winner
•    Annika Sörenstam – World Golf Hall of Famer, female golfer with the most wins, with
      90 international tournament wins including 72 LPGA tournaments and ten majors
•    Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras – Argentinean polo player, captain of the Black Watch
      Polo Team, regarded as one of the best polo players in the world
•    Laird Hamilton – Known as the “Greatest and Bravest Big Wave Surfer” in history
•    Calvin Borel – Four-time Triple Crown winner with more than 4,700 overall career 
      wins

Also to be honored during the star-studded evening:
•    Stewart Rahr – Presenting Sponsor of the 25th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner
•    Christine E. Lynn – Outstanding Philanthropist Award Recipient
•    Jack and Barbara Nicklaus – Inspiration Award Recipients
•    Tom Brokaw – American Icon Award Recipient, former longtime NBC News Anchor,
      nine-time Emmy Award winner and member of Television Academy Hall of Fame
•    Dan Marino – Buoniconti Fund Award Recipient, Miami Dolphins NFL Hall of Fame
      quarterback, 1984 MVP and 9 Times selected to the Pro Bowl

 

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