NEW ENGLAND HERO |

EXCELLENCE IN SPORTS JOURNALISM

CORPORATE GOODWILL |

AWARDS INDEX

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SPORT IN SOCIETY

AWARDS BANQUET & HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

BOSTON, MASS. -- Tuesday night, November 16, 1999 marked the date of the 15th annual Sport in Society Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction. Over 650 people were on hand for a moving evening of inspirational award winners and stories.

Sport in Society held this year's Banquet at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, MA. At the Banquet, Sport in Society dedicated it's next year of service to Lenny Zakim.

For the second straight year, the presenting sponsors of the Banquet were Robert and Myra Kraft and the New England Patriots.

The pre-banquet reception was sponsored by the International Basketball League.

For the ninth year in a row, the M.C. of the event was ESPN's Dick Schaap.

Sport in Society was graced by the presence of 1999 Hall of Fame Inductee, Rafer Johnson. Johnson was a gold medal winner in the Decathlon at the 1960 Olympics, yet his accomplishments outside of the Olympics are equally inspiring. Rafer has spent the better part of his life giving back to others. He is a national leader in the Special Olympics. He is also involved with 28 other charities and foundations.

Sport in Society also celebrated the New England Hero Awards. Laurie Flutie, co-founder of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, was acknowledged for her dedication to helping make a difference in the lives of autistic children and their families. Her husband, Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie, was on stage to present the award to his wife.

The other New England Hero Award honored a true champion of the Northeastern University community, student-athlete Greg Montalbano. His courageous story of battling with testicular cancer and going on to have a successful season with the NU Huskies baseball team was an inspiration to all. Montalbano, a 20-year-old pitcher who led the nation with a 2.09 ERA, praised the efforts of the Center and urged those in attendance to support the mission through their individual resources.

The Excellence in Sports Journalism Awards, presented in conjunction with the Northeastern University School of Journalism, acknowledged a compelling article and an ambitious television series. Erik Brady, a writer for USA Today, was presented the award in the Print Media category. His piece, Terms on Non-Endearment, examined the use of the offensive name and logo of the NFL's Washington Redskins. The article featured the efforts of Susan Shown Harjo's work to legally challenge the use of the logo.

In the Broadcast Media category, the award was presented to ESPN's SportsCentury. The comprehensive series of over 60 hours of programing celebrated the greatest athletes and events of the 20th Century. SportsCentury's Coordinating Producer, Mark Shapiro, accepted the award.

Sport in Society presented the 1999 Corporate Goodwill Award to Robert and Myra Kraft. The Krafts have long been dedicated supporters of the Center's initiatives. Their New England Patriots are one example, having embraced the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program for training of their rookies and free agents for the past two years. The Krafts have also served as the presenting sponsors of the annual Banquet the last two years. Patriots Pro Bowl Cornerback Ty Law was on stage to present the award with FleetBoston C.O.O, Chad Gifford.

To share first hand accounts of the impact the Center's programs have on young people, Sport in Society welcomed three high school students to tell how their lives have been improved. Representing Athletes in Service to America was Ellis Jones (Shelburn Community Center); representing Project TEAMWORK was Kaitlyn Shinney (Archbishop Williams High School); and representing MVP was Richard Pichardo (Lawrence High School).

Sport in Society also premiered a 30-second PSA which aired on FOX Sports Net. The PSA was introduced by FOX broadcaster and Celtics Hall of Famer, Tommy Heinsohn.

Introductory speeches were delivered by Sport in Society Director Richard Lapchick and Northeastern University President Richard Freeland.

The Banquet raised over $280,000.