BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, AND HOCKEY STARS TEAM UP WITH OTSAR FOR ALL-STAR SPECTACULARBrooklyn, NY, October 27, 2008 - Former stars of the Mets, Rangers, and Knicks will form the starting line-up for the All-Star Spectacular at Aviator Field in Brooklyn on Sunday, November 23.
Former Mets Ace Ron Darling, Knicks point guard Mark Jackson, and Rangers two-time MVP Adam Graves will offer clinics to Otsar beneficiaries and sponsors from 2 to 6 PM at an event which will also include silent and live auctions, dinner with the players, and special rock-climbing and ice-skating sessions for event participants.
Otsar is a Brooklyn-based organization, established in 1980 by family members of children with special needs to provide quality programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Mr. Darling, a pitcher for the 1986 World Champion Mets team, is fourth on the team's all-time wins list. He also played for the Montreal Expos and Oakland Athletics, and was a member of the 1985 National League All Star team and the first Mets pitcher to win a Gold Glove in 1989. Currently a color commentator for nationally broadcast baseball games on TBS, as well as Mets broadcasts on SNY and WPIX, he won an Emmy Award as Best Sports Analyst for his work on local broadcasts.
Mr. Jackson, the 1988 NBA Rookie of the Year, was a star at St. John's University before playing for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets. He represented the Knicks as an All-Star in 1999 and ranks second on the NBA all-time assists list with10,323. He is currently a color commentator with ESPN and ABC.
Mr. Graves's jersey number will be retired on February 3 by the Rangers, for whom he played for 10 years, representing them as an All-Star; winning a Stanley Cup; and setting a franchise record for goals scored during the 1993-94 season. During his career, he won numerous community service awards, including the King Clancy Memorial Trophy; the NHL Foundation Award; the Sporting News Good Guy award; the Crumb Bum award for services to New York youngsters; and the Steven MacDonald Award five times. He also won the Stanley Cup in 1990 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers and now works as a special assistant with the Rangers.
Aviator Sports and Recreation complex, which operates at Floyd Bennett Field, includes NHL regulation sized ice skating rinks, football, soccer and lacrosse fields; basketball, volleyball, and handball courts; rock-climbing walls; and a gymnastics center.
Event Chairman Benjy Berger, who is also a member of the Otsar board, said "It is appropriate that this team of All-Stars who played so successfully for three major New York sports teams are joining the team of all-stars at Otsar who provide to more than 500 families in the greater metropolitan area with a developmentally disabled family member."
For more information on sponsorship opportunities or attending the Otsar All-Star Spectacular, call 718-946-7301, ext. 200; email allstar@otsar.org; or visit www.otsar.org
