The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Stephen Dockery

Media Credit: Stephen Dockery

Media Credit: Stephen Dockery

Media Credit: Stephen Dockery

Media Credit: Stephen Dockery

There was only supposed to be one item up for bid to kick off the 2007 Charity Sports Auction, in which more than 500 participated. With the generosity of NBA hall-of-famer Bill Walton, however, that prize quickly increased six-fold.

The prize began as just an autographed Walton basketball, but the audience was soon informed it also included four tickets to an NBA game of the winner's choosing, an NBA package and free apparel for that team.

When the bidding reached $2,200, Walton stepped in and offered to give the prize to both participants. Soon afterward, four more people offered to match the price, making a $13,200 total in the first 10 minutes of bidding.

The auction, hosted by the Syracuse University Sport Management Club at the Carrier Dome, sold nearly 400 items to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse.

More than 500 people from the Syracuse community came to the Dome to bid on prizes ranging from autographed sports memorabilia, tickets to various sporting events and exclusive vacation packages, a sport management representative said. Former Orange athletes - like linebacker Kelvin Smith and quarterback Perry Patterson - along with members of the Syracuse Crunch hockey team and a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, were on hand to sign autographs for the fans.

Kicking off the event was a speech from Walton, a former University of California, Los Angeles basketball player and a three-time NCAA Player of the Year. Walton, the Jreck Subs distinguished lecturer, spoke about his experiences playing for UCLA under legendary head coach John Wooden.

With punctual humor, he related the life lessons he learned playing for Wooden, broadcasting for ESPN and growing up with a similar Boys and Girls club as that of the event's beneficiary.

Walton said he was impressed with the outcome of the event and what that means to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse.

"Tonight there was a great outpouring of love and great outpouring of support for the community here," he said. "As we battle the forces of evil, the forces of fear and intimidation tonight, we send a great message of hope and love and what it means to be apart of a special team."

Concluding Walton's speech was the presentation of the 2007 Perseverance in Sport Award to Alexi Salamone, a bi-lateral amputee who was born after the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine. He overcame impairment to excel at sled hockey and won a bronze medal at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. A clip of an ESPN story on Salamone was shown for the audience before he accepted the award.

The inspirational story fit well with Walton's message of chasing a dream and not letting anything get in the way.

"When I see the story of Alexi Salamone, I feel like the most selfish schmuck in the world," he said. "To see what he's been able to achieve and with the level of positive, upbeat, looking-forward personality that Alexi has, he is the true giant here."

"While I always wanted to be 7 feet tall, I peaked out at a mere 6'11"," Walton said. "I'm so proud of all the work and all the generosity and caring and kindness that we had tonight here at the Carrier Dome that I think I made it all the way to 7 feet tall."

The event was not just for entertainment and selling memorabilia, but also to contribute and raise awareness for the Boys and Girls Clubs. After Thursday's event, the Sport Management Club will have done both.

"If we can raise money, but also can raise the consciousness level within the community leading to support this great organization, it's a way that we can do it on a major platform: the Carrier Dome," said Michael Veley, director of sport management and the auction's co-chairman.

"I grew up in the Boys and Girls Clubs, and the people who went out of their way and gave so willingly and freely of their time to make it happen for me," Walton said. "It is our duty to stand up for what is truly right and help the young people in the world achieve what it is they are trying to get and get their fair share."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools