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For more information, contact: 10TH ANNUAL AT&T NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS WILL CELEBRATE ALL THAT’S RIGHT IN SPORTSMLB COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG, SOFTBALL PLAYERS WHO MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES, AND OTHER INSPIRING STORIES TO BE HONORED TONIGHT AT EVENT IN ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS – June 5, 2008 – Celebrating all that’s right in sports, the 2008 AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards will honor athletes and personalities from around the nation for their integrity, class, selflessness, kindness, community service, and overall commitment to sportsmanship tonight in St. Louis. The awards program begins at 7 p.m. at the Chase Park Plaza. The event is presented by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance. Headlining tonight’s lineup of winners are Central Washington University softball players Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace, who will receive a special award from the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance and the St. Louis Sports Commission for an amazing selfless gesture that occurred in a game just over a month ago. On April 26, Western Oregon University senior Sara Tucholsky hit her first-ever collegiate home run. Overjoyed, she missed first base, and as she turned back to tag it, her knee gave out. She had suffered a torn ACL. Tucholsky crawled back to first, but unable to touch all the bases, her only career home run was about to become a long single. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Holtman, Central Washington’s first baseman and all-time home run hitter, stepped forward and asked if she could carry the injured opponent around the bases. She and Wallace gently lifted Tucholsky and carried her from base to base, allowing her to tap each base with her foot. Their inspiring story has been featured on the network morning shows, ESPN and in The New York Times. The AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards also will feature a keynote interview with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who will be recognized with a lifetime achievement award for his role in the game’s significant renaissance and charitable endeavors. Taking place in St. Louis for the fourth straight year, the event will continue its tradition of recognizing individuals from each of St. Louis’ major league teams for their class and community service. This year’s honorees include Blues goalie Manny Legace, Rams linebacker Chris Draft, and former Cardinals pitcher now broadcaster Rick Horton. For a complete list of 2008 AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards honorees and their full bios visit www.nationalsportsmanshipawards.com/winners.php. Highlights from the event will air as part of a 30-minute special on KSDK-TV (Channel 5) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 10 and be rebroadcast at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 22. The AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards is the signature event of the St. Louis Sports Commission’s Sportsmanship Initiative. By recognizing outstanding individuals who set a high standard with their approach on and off the field, the organization hopes to set the tone for all parents, coaches, and fans to be “good sports” and to pass those values on to children in the community. It’s the Sports Commission’s goal to make St. Louis a model community for good sportsmanship and home to America’s best sports. Proceeds from the AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards benefit the Sports Commission’s charitable Sports Foundation and Sportsmanship Initiative.
The St. Louis Sports Commission is the privately funded nonprofit organization that benefits St. Louis through sports. |
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