The fourth annual Syracuse University Sport Management Club Charity Sports Auction was held in the Carrier Dome Thursday night, and was highlighted by former New York Yankee Jim Abbott’s keynote address and the 2009 Perseverance in Sports Award. 1972 graduate David Falk was also on hand.

Abbott, the former Yankee, spoke about how to adapt when faced with adversity. ‘Determination is having the strength to filter out negativity,’ Abbott said. ‘…the best gift I ever received from someone was from my parents. They gave me the belief that I can always be up for a challenge, no matter how big or small.’

The true spirit of the night kicked off after Abbott’s speech when a one item live auction was held. It featured one autographed Jim Abbott baseball. The ball sold for $600, and when the bidding was finally over, its new owner received a standing ovation for their kindness and generosity.

Sport Management Club President Gordie Taylor said the act of generosity was the essential goal for last night’s fundraiser.

However, the merchandise was not just limited to signed baseballs. The auction floor featured items from tickets to the Emmy Awards, to autographed Syracuse memorabilia, to a year supply of mustard.

Some of the premium items that were up for auction were Dave Matthews Band concert tickets, Carmelo Anthony autographed basketball, four tickets to a 2009 Yankees home game at the new Yankee Stadium, a Ted Williams autographed baseball, and a Pentax Optio E60 digital camera.

Steiner Sports provided many of the items for the auction.

But the night was not all about raising money. The Sport Management Club had raised over $50,000 through the first three years of the auction’s existence, which has featured a slew of famous sports figures.

It was a night filled with emotion as the Sport Management Club attempted to raise money for the Golisano Children’s Hospital at Upstate. The local hospital was chosen because the club wanted to see the money raised stay in the community.

‘We were really excited to make a closer association with Syracuse University,’ Toni Gary, the director for development for the Galisano Children’s Hospital, said. ‘The overall communal effort shows the continued ties we have with the University. Obviously, the money is nice, but so is the relationship we have growing here. We were very pleased and proud to be a part of all of this.’

The Perseverance in Sports Award winner, nine-year-old Adam Bender from Lexington, KY, was on hand, and his story reminded everyone why there were at the Carrier Dome last night.

Bender was born with a cancerous tumor in his left leg. After repeated chemotherapy treatments failed, he was forced to have his leg amputated from the pelvis down.

However, his physical disability has not hampered his passion and ability to play soccer, baseball, flag football, and to wrestle. His resiliency is inspiring, as were the stories and lessons offered to those on hand by Abbott.

The first year the auction took place, Falk, who is best known for representing Michael Jordan, spoke about his success as a sports agent.

The second year featured college and NBA legend Bill Walton as keynote speaker. Following him was Orange standout and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

This year’s speaker was just humbled to have been a part of the event.

‘Initially when I was told about this event, I realized I did not really know anything about Syracuse, or what to expect,’ Abbott said. ‘But to be incredibly honest, the Sport Management Club really has done an excellent job, and it picked the perfect recipient for the award. Adam’s story just blows me away. It really shows what you can do if you truly believe in something. That seems to be the theme of everything tonight.’

dfbaer@syr.edu

Published on April 3, 2009 at 12:00 pm