Tip Off To Success 2007

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The Bulldogs Care Foundation would like to thank everyone who attended and supported our first annual fundraising gala, Tip Off To Success, on Thursday, September 27, 2007 at the Altman Building in Manhattan. The event honored John Stuper with the 2007 Leadership Award and Paul Possenti, PA-C, with the 2007 Humanitarian Award.

Pictured at left, from left to right, 2007 Leadership Award honoree, John Stuper and 2007 Humanitarian Award honoree, Paul Possenti, PA-C.

Paul Possenti, PA-C was in the emergency room the night of the tragic accident that took the lives of the Yale Bulldogs who inspired the creation of BCF. Paul worked very hard to save the lives of those involved and BCF was honored to present him with the 2007 Humanitarian Award.  John Stuper is the Mazzuto Family Head Coach for Baseball at Yale University. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds from 1982 - 1985, appearing in a total of 111 games. Sports Illustrated listed his World Series performance among the 10 best by a rookie pitcher in the history of postseason play. John was the coach of the Yale Bulldog's baseball team when the accident occurred and lost two players who passed away and another to injury as a result of the accident. Subsequently, John played a huge part in helping the Yale community heal. BCF was privileged to honor him with the 2007 Leadership Award.

The event was attended by over 500 people and was a huge success! Steven Duke, Chairman of the BCF Board of Directors noted, "A successful inaugural event for BCF was crucial to continuing our positive momentum into 2008. I think the results speak for themselves; with an energetic volunteer base and a group of sponsors committed to BCF’s mission, this year’s achievements have exceeded all expectations. We are very proud of what we have accomplished so far, but 2007 is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Pictured at right, guests at Tip Off To Success bid on silent auction items.

Guests of Tip Off To Success enjoyed delicious cuisine prepared by Atomic Wings, Barna, Crema, Edible Arrangements, Grandaisy Bakery, Ivy Bakery, Mottsu, Planet Thailand 212, Remi and Yolato. Refreshing beverages were provided by Dewar's, Brooklyn Brewery, Bulldog Gin, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and p.i.n.k. vodka. Live music was provided by The Stingers and the band had everyone on their feet and dancing by the end of the night!

Sponsors for the evening included Citigroup, Deutsche Bank Securities, Cindy & Andy Dwyer, Michael Liebeskind, Gregory Murphy, Michael Murphy, Selective Insurance, Ginny and Richie Wenzel in Honor of the Late Nora and Francis Preiss and Winged Keel Group.

Pictured at left, The Stingers.

Energy was flowing throughout the evening as guests celebrated the first annual gala for the Bulldogs Care Foundation. Rita Burnat was in attendance on this very important evening to honor her late son, Kyle, who was one of the young men that inspired the creation of BCF. Rita remarked that "It was obvious that a great deal of thought and feeling went into the BCF kick-off event.  It was heartwarming to see how many people remembered and were touched by our boys. Thank you for creating a legacy to honor them."

Pictured at right, Event Committee member, Kimmy Mimnaugh and Elly Dwyer.

Everyone enjoyed the sports theme of the evening. Guests sampled food featured by Eats.com’s Taste of the Sporting World, where restaurants showcased international foods present at sporting events worldwide. The silent auction was an exciting point of the evening. It featured signed sports memorabilia, tickets to New York sports games, spa packages and much more!

We would like to give a very special thank you to former New York Mets player and current color commentator, Ron Darling, who donated a round of golf for two at Colonial Springs Golf Club to be played in his company and also gave two people the opportunity to sit in the Sports New York booth for one inning with him, Keith Hernandez and Gary Cohen. These live auction items enabled BCF to reach our fundraising goal and were a key component of the evening's excitement.

Thank you again to everyone who attended and supported Tip Off to Success! A special thanks to our wonderful sponsors and volunteers who made this evening possible.

Pictured at left, guests enjoy Tip Off To Success.

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