Fourth Annual Charity Sports Auction is Thursday, featuring former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott and book signing by NBA super agent David Falk

Fourth Annual Charity Sports Auction is Thursday, featuring former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott and book signing by NBA super agent David FalkMarch 30, 2009Michele Barrettmibarret@syr.edu

The Fourth Annual Charity Sports Auction, presented by Syracuse University’s Sport Management Club, will take place Thursday, April 2, in the Carrier Dome. Proceeds will benefit the Golisano Children’s Hospital at Upstate and the Sport Management Club. The event will include an opportunity to bid on more than 400 auction items-including sports memorabilia, autographed pieces, hands-on experiences, electronics, jewelry and tickets to major sporting events-along with a Family Fun Zone.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the Jreck Subs Distinguished Lecture at 6:30 p.m. Auction bidding will take place from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

This year’s guest speaker is Jim Abbott, Olympic gold medalist and former major league pitcher; born without a right hand, Abbott made his MLB debut in 1989 with the California Angels and spent 10 seasons in the majors.

At the conclusion of Abbott’s presentation, the Sport Management Club’s annual Perseverance in Sport Award will be presented to 8-year-old Adam Bender of Lexington, Ky., who excels at multiple sports despite the loss of one leg.

Afterward, NBA sports agent and Syracuse University trustee David B. Falk ’72 will sign copies of his new book, “The Bald Truth: Secrets of Success from the Locker Room to the Boardroom” (Simon & Schuster, 2009). Books will be available for purchase at the event. In April 2008, Falk and his wife, Rhonda S. Falk ’74, made a $5 million gift to Syracuse University to establish the David B. Falk Center for Sport Management, an interdisciplinary research center that will be the focal point of the Department of Sport Management in SU’s College of Human Ecology.

The Sport Management Club, in conjunction with Steiner Sports, will also offer an online auction as part of the April 2 event. Items will be available to bid until April 3 at http://marketplace.edeal.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgrfnbr=91702180&cgmenbr=55076099&noMoreSubs=Y.

The distinguished lecture and charity sports auction are open to the public. Tickets-$10 for adults and $5 for all students and children 18 years of age and younger-are available at the Dome Box Office or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX. Free parking is available in the lots west of the Carrier Dome, with access for entrance to the event at Gates A, B, C and E. For more information about the Fourth Annual Charity Sports Auction, visit http://www.sucharitysportsauction.com.

The SU Sport Management Club is a student-run organization of the SU College of Human Ecology’s Department of Sport Management. Since its founding in 2005, the club has grown to nearly 100 members and has raised more than $50,000 for local charities such as the Syracuse Boys and Girls Club and the American Diabetes Association of Central New York.