This Wednesday evening brought a packed house to Cipriani's on Wall Street to support the Sports Angels Foundation. Over 30 tables were filled with supporters of the charity to raise money for local youth sports programs in need. Former New York Ranger and Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert was honored with the Inspiration Award for his work with the Garden of Dreams Foundation. Receiving the Community Award was Bobby Hoffman for his efforts with Manhattan Youth Baseball. The emcee for the event was NY1 anchor Jessica Abo. Abo managed to keep the crowd entertained in between guests and crowned Gilbert with the new position of goalie. A true gentleman, Gilbert took it in stride, and Abo showed a sense of humor by being able to laugh it off after some gentle ribbing by former New York Giant Howard Cross (who was playing the role of auctioneer). Cross did an excellent job of getting the patrons to open their wallets in support of the night's cause. His constant reminders of, "look at me, not her!" had a lot of the men upping the ante on their bids despite the urgings of their wives. Former Brooklyn Dodger and Sports Angels Board Member Ralph Branca briefly addressed the crowd and led the singing of God Bless America.
A touching moment during the evening was when the crowd was addressed by members of the Inner City Scholarship Foundation. The three basketball players were in a middle school league that was a recipient of a Sports Angels grant. They expressed their gratitude for the opportunity the grant had provided them to compete and learn about the aspects of teamwork and sportsmanship.
The event proved successful for the Sports Angels Foundation, showing that even in a tough economy, there are still many out there interested in supporting initiatives to keep children involved in sports. For further information on how you can support Sports Angels, please go to their website www.sportsangels.org