Great Sports Legends Dinner to benefit The Buoniconti Fund

GREAT SPORTS LEGENDS DINNER

The highlight of this evening is paying tribute to our “Great Sports Legends” from different sporting categories and honorees who both inspire and motivate others. The Great Sports Legends Dinner is The Buoniconti Fund’s premiere fundraiser in support of The Miami Project. Each year, more than 800 celebrities and notables from the worlds of entertainment, sports and media are treated to an evening that is both entertaining and inspirational.

Past Legends and Honorees include: Past Legends and Honorees include: Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, Phil Collins, Andre Agassi, David Ortiz, Simone Biles, Willie Mays, Buzz Aldrin, Gloria Estefan, Tommy Lee Jones, Venus Williams, Mia Hamm, Magic Johnson, Dorothy Hamill, Dwyane Wade, Chris Evert, Helio Castroneves, Dan Marino, Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Cal Ripken, Jr., Dr. Maya Angelou, Pitbull, Michael Strahan, John McEnroe, Jorge Posada, Bob Costas, John Elway, Pat Riley, Tony Hawk, Christian Slater, Julio Iglesias, Lindsey Vonn, Kelly Slater, Joe Torre, Jerry Rice, Alex Rodriguez, and Shaquille O’Neal and many more other athletes and heroes who recognize that paralyzing injuries can and do occur in the pursuit of athletic careers and everyday lives.

41st Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner To Benefit The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis - Arrivals

41st Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner Honored
Rob Gronkowski, Laila Ali, Misty May-Treanor, Dale Jarrett, Andrew Jones, Chris Webber, Chamique Holdsclaw,
Mark Recchi, John Randle, Edgar Prado

Gloria Estefan served as mistress of ceremonies;
Multiple Grammy Award Winning Pop-Rock group Train performed;
Shane Battier received The Buoniconti Fund Award

NEW YORK, October 5, 2026 — Sports Hall of Famers, World Champions and Olympic Gold Medalists gathered tonight in New York City for The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis’ 41st Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner presented by Tudor Group and the Mack Family. The event honored Rob Gronkowski, Shaun White, Laila Ali, Misty May-Treanor, Dale Jarrett, Andruw Jones, Chris Webber, Chamique Holdsclaw, Mark Recchi, John Randle and Edgar Prado, while raising awareness and millions of dollars for research and treatment related to spinal cord and brain injuries and neurological diseases and disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, multiple sclerosis and stroke.

The evening also celebrated the 60th birthday of Marc Buoniconti, president and namesake of The Buoniconti Fund. Founding Board member Ray Chambers and his MCJ Amelior Foundation, together with Founding Dinner Chair Jack Schneider, announced a $1 million gift to The Buoniconti Fund to establish the Marc A. Buoniconti Drug Discovery Program.

“Forty-one years ago, my life changed forever. What was a simple tackle in a college football game was anything but simple for me and my family. That tackle could have ended my life, but it saved and transformed it,” said Marc Buoniconti, President of The Buoniconti Fund. “My injury motivated my father, NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti, world-renown neurosurgeon Dr. Barth Green, and others into action to find a cure for paralysis and other neurological diseases and conditions. Thanks to people like Ray and Jack, our Sports Legends, honorees, event chairs, sponsors and donors, this event helps accelerate new treatments and cures for the millions living with spinal cord and brain injuries and other neurological disorders.”

2026 Honorees

Rob Gronkowski — four-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Pro Bowler and four-time First Team All-ProShaun White — five-time Olympian, three-time Olympic gold medalist and 15-time X Games gold medalist
Laila Ali — five-time world boxing champion who retired 24–0 with 21 knockouts
Misty May-Treanor — three-time Olympic gold medalist and Beach Volleyball Hall of Famer
Dale Jarrett — three-time Daytona 500 winner, 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer
Andruw Jones — MLB Hall of Famer, five-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner and 2005 Silver Slugger
Chris Webber — 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA All-Star and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer
Chamique Holdsclaw — six-time WNBA All-Star and 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
Mark Recchi — three-time Stanley Cup champion, seven-time NHL All-Star and Hockey Hall of Famer
John Randle — seven-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Famer
Edgar Prado — Hall of Fame jockey, Eclipse Award winner and three-time North American riding champion

Eleven-time Grammy Award winner and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Gloria Estefan served as mistress of ceremonies. Her connection to The Buoniconti Fund dates to 1990, when she sustained a severe spinal cord injury in a tour bus accident. Broadcaster Bob Costas, a 28-time Emmy Award winner and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, narrated the video tributes for the Legends.

Two-time NBA champion, NCAA champion and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame member Shane Battier received The Buoniconti Fund Award for his philanthropic work.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning pop-rock group Train performed for the 800 philanthropic, business, civic and community leaders, celebrities and sports icons in attendance. Guests also participated in an auction featuring unique sports memorabilia, jewelry, travel experiences and other items.

Presenting Sponsors for the evening were Tudor Group and the Mack Family. Mark Dalton of Tudor Group served as longtime event chairman, with Reed Mack and Richard Gray serving as co-chairs. Philanthropist Christine E. Lynn was the Red-Carpet Sponsor.

The dinner annually raises awareness and funds for The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. A designated Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, The Miami Project conducts discovery, translational and clinical research involving traumatic spinal cord and brain injury, peripheral nerve injury, and neurological diseases and disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, multiple sclerosis and stroke.

This year’s Great Sports Legends join such alumni as Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, Phil Collins, Andre Agassi, David Ortiz, Simone Biles, Willie Mays, Buzz Aldrin, Cal Ripken, Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, Mia Hamm, Magic Johnson, Dorothy Hamill, Dwyane Wade, Chris Evert, Helio Castroneves, Dan Marino, Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Dr. Maya Angelou, John McEnroe, John Elway, Pat Riley, Tony Hawk, Christian Slater, Julio Iglesias, Lindsey Vonn, Kelly Slater, Joe Torre, Jerry Rice, Shaquille O’Neal and others who recognize that paralyzing injuries occur in the pursuit of athletic careers and everyday lives.

GREAT SPORTS LEGENDS DINNER

2026 Honorees

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