KNICKS STAR DAVID LEE TO TEAM UP WITH OTSAR IN FIRST ALL-STAR SPECTACULAR
Brooklyn, NY, July 30, 2007 - Otsar Family Services today announced that Knicks forward David Lee will be part of the starting line-up for the Meridian Presents Otsar All-Star Spectacular at Aviator Field in Brooklyn on Sunday, September 9.Building on the tradition of the Otsar Grand Slam celebrity softball game for the past three years, this years event will offer, for the first time, clinics with former and current National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and National Football League players, as well as a silent auction, VIP buffet with the players, and the opportunity to compete while being coached by a pro-athlete.
Corporate sponsorship opportunities include sponsoring clinics and the auction, subsidizing Otsar children as ball boys, and sponsoring football and basketball clinics for the Otsar clients. Meridian Capital Group LLC has already signed on as the title sponsor of the event.
Drafted by the Knicks in 2005 with the 30th pick, Mr. Lee averaged 10.7 points in the 58 games in which he appeared for the Knicks in the 2006/2007 season. At the time of his injury in late February, he was the seventh best rebounder in the NBA last season.
Otsar is a Brooklyn-based organization, established by family members of children with special needs in 1980 to provide quality programs and services for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
The newly opened Aviator Sports and Recreation complex is a concession for the National Park Service operating at Floyd Bennett Field, which includes two NHL regulation sized ice skating rinks, full-sized 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 "We are delighted that Meridian, which has been supportive of Otsar for a number of years, has joined the team as our presenting sponsor. We anticipate a significant number of corporate and individual sponsors to join the team and help us expand the services we provide to more than 700 families in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Long Island with a developmentally disabled family member."
Howard Zuckerman, Chairman of Meridian, added, "Meridian is proud to join with Otsar in sponsoring this wonderful event for such a great cause. The theme of Otsar is to provide quality programs and services for people with developing disabilities. It is an honor to share the vision with them, as at Meridian quality and performance is our utmost product."
Founded in 1991, Meridian is one of the nation's largest mortgage brokers serving the multifamily and commercial real estate sectors. With offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Florida, and California, Meridian works with a wide variety of lenders to finance transactions ranging from $500,000 to more than $500 million. Nationally, Meridian reported more than 2,800 transactions in 2005, totaling over $16 billion.
For more information on the Otsar All-Star Spectacular, call 718-946-7301, ext. 200; email allstar@otsar.org; or visit www.otsar.org
