| | Sportscasters Super Ball Drew Standup Support for CF in Connecticut
December 16, 2008
Hometown sports heroes, sportscaster glitterati, esteemed business leaders— the Connecticut Chapter’s Sportscasters Super Ball had it all. But what really drew the 330 guests crowding the Club at Rentschler Field, home of UConn’s Huskies football, was the chance to honor a great cause and to raise $200,000 dollars in the quest for a cure for cystic fibrosis.
Details That Made a Difference
ESPN's Joe Tessitore, CF Rookie of the Year Courtney Peterson, and CF Community Leader of the Year, and Chairman and CEO of Open Solutions Louis Hernandez, Jr. join forces at the Sportscaster's Super Ball in Connecuticut.
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The evening paid tribute to some of Connecticut’s most beloved local leaders and heroes. Sportscaster Joe Tessitore, host and emcee, began by presenting the Shining Star award to Connecticut Sun Head Basketball Coach Mike Thibault, 2008 WNBA Coach of the Year and gold medal-winning assistant coach of the 2008 women’s Olympic team. The award held special significance for Mike, a longtime friend and volunteer of the CF Foundation, who has lost five siblings to cystic fibrosis.
In a night of moving moments, the presentation of the Native Son Award to PFC Nick Madaras, a soldier killed in Iraq, stood out. Nick, whose dream was to bring the joy of soccer to Iraqi children, was the inspiration for the charity Kick for Nick, sending thousands of soccer balls to the youngsters in Iraq. To thunderous applause, Nick’s family accepted the award on his behalf.
The Rookie of the Year Award went to young soccer hopeful Courtney Peterson, an irrepressible 13-year-old who doesn’t let having CF interfere with her determination to excel at the game—and in everyday life. In her Bid for a Cure, Courtney promised “to work hard, do all of my treatments, continue to participate in clinical trials and stay active in sports so I can reach my full potential.” On behalf of all the patients with CF and the parents who have lost children to the disease, Courtney asked the audience to make a commitment to funding research and to finding a cure.
Thanks a Million
Louis Hernandez, Jr., chairman and CEO of software company Open Solutions, was named 2008 Community Leader of the Year for his generous support to the CF Foundation. “As a business leader, I consider it both a necessity and a privilege to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” Hernandez said. “The Foundation is giving such hope and promise to so many CF patients and their families. I am honored to accept this prestigious award.”
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