SU Charity Sports Auction March 29 to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs, feature hundreds of items for bid

SU Charity Sports Auction March 29 to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs, feature hundreds of items for bidFebruary 23, 2007Gillian Ottmangeottma@syr.edu

The Syracuse University Sport Management Club will hold its second annual gala Charity Sports Auction on Thursday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The beneficiary will once again be the Boys & Girls Clubs of Syracuse.

The Boys & Girls Clubs offer a safe, supervised setting for children who otherwise would be home alone. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of youth by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.

“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Syracuse is so very thankful for the Sport Management Club’s support of our organization,” says James Czarniak, director of development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Syracuse. “Funds raised from the auction help the organization keep its doors open to the more than 500 youth who access the clubs on a daily basis. It is great that so many students from Syracuse and the staff take a personal interest in the community around the University. Their hard work will help give youth in Syracuse a safe place to learn and grow, and we cannot thank them enough.”

“Last year, the charity auction raised over $10,000, which supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Syracuse,” says Michael Veley, director of sport management and event co-chairperson. “Our students, faculty and staff have been diligently working for the past eight months to hopefully double our contribution in 2007.”

Nearly 300 items with values ranging from $10 to $4,000 will be up for bid at the silent auction. The items include a range of sports memorabilia from professional and collegiate sports teams and players, as well as non-sports-related items, such as electronics, jewelry, vacations, restaurant gift certificates and tailgate parties. Supporters will have the opportunity to bid on:

• Autographed items from Moises Alou, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Bay, Jim Boeheim, Jim Brown, Kyle Busch, Brandi Chastain, Greg Buttle, Bobby Cox, Eddy Curry, Ron Darling, Rick DiPietro, Jennie Finch, Doug Flutie, Gus Frerotte, Jay Gibbons, Clark Gillies, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Green, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, Jason Hart, Ken Harvey, Livan Hernandez, Philip Hughes, Larry Izzo, Derek Jeter, Joan Jett, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Johnson, Magic Johnson, Andruw Jones, Jason Kidd, Warren Kimble, Anna Kournikova, Floyd Little, J.P. Losman, Olindo Mare, Juan Marichal, Stephon Marbury, Sean McDonough, Gerry McNamara, Ryan Miller, Dave Mirra, Justin Morneau, Guillermo Mota, Rick Nash, Steve Nash, Ken Norton, Lance Parrish, Mark Parrish, Tony Perez, Johnny Pesky, Joni Pitkanen, Mark Prior, Antwaan Randle El, Philip Rivers, Alex Rodriguez, Jim Rollins, Michael Ryder, Bud Selig, Richie Sexson, Ozzie Smith, Steve Smith, Tony Stewart, Amare Stoudemire, Andre Thomas, David Tyree, Al Unser Jr., Dick Vitale and Mike Vrabel.

• Specialty items including a weeklong stay at an exclusive South Carolina beach house; a 32″ LCD HDTV; two guest passes for HBO’s “Inside the NFL,” with Bob Costas, at HBO studios in New York City; two passes to the set of the live production of “Football Night in America,” for NBC Sports’ Sunday night NFL telecast in 2007; a 2004 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction bat; a sportfishing charter trip on Seneca Lake; an amethyst and blue topaz necklace; a Betsey Johnson dress; iPods; a PGA Tour golf bag and clubs; a Super Bowl XLI backpack and autographed items; a “Pursuit of Happyness” book signed by author Chris Gardner; a Sirius Satellite Radio Plug-n-Play receiver/car kit; Sports Illustrated collector’s books; sterling silver bracelets; and Xbox games.

• Ticket packages to the Belmont Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup, Greek Peak Ski Resort, Howe Caverns, Mid-Lakes Navigation, “Mike and the Mad Dog,” the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Mets, the New York State Fair Grandstand Show, the North Area YMCA, Onondaga County Parks, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, the Syracuse Chiefs, the Syracuse Opera and the Travers Stakes.

• Gift Certificates and packages to Applebee’s, April Beauty Clinic, Belhurst, Brooklyn Pickle, Caz Limo, Comfort Inn & Suites, Dominick’s Restaurant, Doral Arrowwood Conference Resort, Doug’s Fish Fry, Edible Arrangements, Golfer’s Dome, Goodfellow’s Restaurant, Green Onion Restaurant, Hofmann Sausage, Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, Ontario Place Hotel, Renaissance Syracuse Hotel, Sackets Cantina, Sackets Harbor Brew Pub Restaurant and Square Sun Tanning.

Dozens of other items, everything from ice cream and subs for a year to Nike athletic apparel, will also be available.

The Syracuse University Sport Management Club, a student-run organization of the Department of Sport Management in the College of Human Services and Health Professions, hosts the charity auction.

Another highlight of the evening will be the Jreck Subs Distinguished Lecture at 6:30 p.m., featuring keynote speaker Bill Walton, three-time NCAA player of the Year and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for SU students and those 18 years or younger. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX (888-366-3849).