Number of items available at SU Sport Management Club April 8 auction grows to more than 450

Number of items available at SU Sport Management Club April 8 auction grows to more than 450 April 07, 2008Kate Futrellkofutrel@syr.edu

More than 450 items will be up for bid at the third annual Charity Sports Auction presented by the Syracuse University Sport Management Club on Tuesday, April 8, in the Carrier Dome. For more information, visit http://www.sucharitysportsauction.com.

Tickets — $10 for adults and $5 for all students, 5 years of age and up — can be purchased in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX (366-3849). Proceeds from the evening will benefit the American Diabetes Association, as well as the Sport Management Club.

Doors for the event open at 5:30 p.m.; ticket holders can preview the auction items, located along the length of the field, for one hour prior to the start of the program. A concession stand will be open during the event.

The preview period closes at 6:30 p.m., at which time guests will be asked to be seated in the stands for the Jreck Subs Distinguished Lecture. The lecture, delivered by SU trustee and member of the Syracuse All-Century Football Team Donovan McNabb, five-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, will also include a short question-and-answer session. Questions for McNabb can be e-mailed via the event website. Unfortunately, McNabb will not be available to sign autographs or take pictures with fans at the event.

Following the lecture, the Perseverance in Sport Award will be presented to Kyle Lograsso, a five-year-old cancer survivor from Philadelphia who has garnered national recognition for his remarkable golf talent.

Guests will be allowed onto the field at the conclusion of the award presentation, and the auction will begin at 7:30 p.m. The items up for auction will be divided into four sections, with a section closing every 30 minutes. Only cash and credit cards (American Express, MasterCard or VISA) will be accepted as payment for winning bids.

Many activities will be available free of charge to ticket holders during the auction. The family fun zone will include an EA Games area with the latest video games, putting lessons from Lograsso, face painting by members of the SU Dance Team, Otto illustrations by New Times cartoonist Joe Glisson, and a chance to try your luck in the Action in the Lane recliner.

Otto and other area mascots will be on hand to interact with guests. Additionally, nationally recognized coaches and former athletes — including Gary Gait, Matt Gorman, Roosevelt Bouie, Luke Jensen, Jim Johnson and Brad Peetom — will be on hand to sign complimentary autographs, as will seniors from the SU football and women’s basketball teams.

A wide range of sports memorabilia from professional and collegiate sports teams and players will be up for auction, as well as non-sports-related items including electronics, jewelry, vacations, restaurant gift certificates, and more. Prices of the items are from $10 up.

The SU Sport Management Club is a student-run organization of the Department of Sport Management in the College of Human Ecology. Since its founding in 2005, the club has grown to more than 100 members and raised more than $30,000 for local charities.