THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996 TAG: 9605160171
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 172 lines
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES often come across as greedy individuals not satisfied with the millions of dollars they get to play what most of us consider a game.
But every so often, they surprise us with their generosity.
Near the end of the live auction at the seventh annual Bruce Smith Charity Classic, event co-chairman Erin Bunn brought up a large card listing several items put together in a package of items for bidding.
Nothing outrageous. A night in the Marriott's presidential suite, a limo for the evening, dinner at a fancy restaurant and a $500 gift certificate to a local jewelry store.
But what made this particularly special was that it was put together to raise money for Patty Dutko, a Virginia Beach cancer patient whom Bunn has befriended.
Bunn asked that the bidding be taken as seriously as it had been for some of the sports memorabilia that was raising close to $60,000 for the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.
And it was.
The total climbed to $3,000 as various kind hearts raised their bidding cards.
Then, something truly special happened. And it was the professional athletes on hand for the weekend that made it so.
Sitting in a private VIP section, several of the pros got together to push up the bidding, which had gone to $3,100.
Greg Lloyd bumped it to $5,000 and Derrick Thomas tossed in $2,500 more. Chester McGlockton and Cornelius Bennett jumped into the fray.
All of a sudden, it was $10,000. Then $12,500. Then $15,000.
Event host Bruce Smith and Buffalo Bills teammate Thurmon Thomas raised it even higher. Before it was all over, the total was $20,100 and the room was full of teary-eyed well-wishers who stood in shock at the generosity of the athletes.
``I was at a loss for words,'' Smith said. ``The guys just reached inside their hearts and inside their pockets to do something nice for this lady.
``That's what it's all about.''
As if that wasn't enough, the group of pros turned around and gave the entire package they had purchased to Dutko, who was on stage, and, understandably, in tears.
She and her fiance, Charlie Echols, will use many of the items for their upcoming marriage - nuptials that have been postponed because of Dutko's current blood stem transplant procedures.
``I can't believe all this,'' Dutko said. ``I can't believe how nice all these people have been to us.''
Added Bunn: ``It's the kind of thing that really restores your faith in people. It has mine.''
The auction was only one of many highlights of a weekend that was expected to raise at least $100,000 for charity. It all started with a kickoff party Saturday at Kokoamo's Island Bar & Grill.
Sunday's events included a softball game between Smith's Armada/Hoffler-USAir team and Bernie Kosar's Associated Financial Group and Arby's. Several area men's league players joined the professional athletes on the Harbor Park field. Local officials from the National Softball Association called the shots.
But the shot nobody could match was hit by Washington Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler. Shuler crushed one over the leftfield fence and sent a second shot to the warning track.
``I'm not the softball player,'' he said the next day at the golf tournament. ``That's my brother. He hit nine in a row in one tournament we played in.''
After the softball game, everybody moved to the Marriott for the private pairings party where all the sponsors and golf teams bid for the right to pick an athlete to play with.
R.K. Chevrolet nabbed the first pick with a bid of $30,000.
``Junior Seau and Shuler will probably be the first to go,'' said Bob Sage, general manager of 360 Communications, which picked No. 2 with a bid of $29,700. ``We got the second selection last year and got to play with Dan Marino. That was really a great time with him.''
Seau did wind up going first and the 360 group took Smith with the second pick.
Marino and former Raiders great Howie Long would have gone high in the bidding, but were unable to attend the event this year.
While Marino couldn't make the show for the first time, gear autographed by the Miami Dolphins' quarterback did. Marino memorabilia is among the top fund-raising items at the auction.
Ronnie Ellis of USAir had to make a last-minute trip to Fort Lauderdale to pick up Marino's goods.
``Down and back in one day,'' said Ellis of Virginia Beach. ``Didn't even get to see him, so it wasn't much fun.
``But they wanted to make sure the stuff got here, so. . . .''
Ellis also spent ample time driving to and from Norfolk International Airport picking up celebrities.
Amid all the hoopla and partying, there actually was a golf tournament played and many of the teams and their professionals took it quite seriously.
Playing Florida best ball rules, the Old Dominion Demolition team with Dallas punter John Jett tore up the par 72 course with a 16-under 56.
Dan Christino, Chris Scissom, Mark Knudsen and Al Bevins were Jett's teammates.
During the golf outing, appetites soared and several local companies were on hand to feed everyone.
But probably the post popular spot on the course was at the 15th hole tee box, where Jerry Parker was grilling up New York hots, Italian sausages and all the fixings at the Footer's Sports Pub location.
Parker, a 42-year-old Virginia Beach independent insurance adjuster, is affectionately known as ``Hot Sauce'' by his buddies and could be heard throughout the day telling players to ``pick it up.''
``I just like helping out,'' he said. ``They really seem to go for this stuff and it's fun cooking all day, feeding everybody and just having a good time out here.''
And that pretty much was the case for everybody.
Even chairman Gene Bunn, who usually takes a couple of days off to recharge after the event before getting started on next year's.
``It was incredible,'' he said. ``Unbelievable.
``It's gotten easier each year and it was actually pretty calm in the war room the last few days. That's a sign we're more organized and that we're learning.''
Bunn said the official tally destined for the Hampton Roads Community Foundation won't be known until all the bills are paid, but he said the auction total was a good barometer of how things went.
``We raised $44,000 at the auction last year and it was about $58,000 this year,'' he said. ``So that's pretty good. It will be at least than 10 days until we can come up with a real total, but it's going to be good again.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Cover, Color photo]
CHARITY CLASSIC A HIT
Staff photo, including color cover, by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills takes a break from the golf
``action'' for a quick fishing outing at the 15th hole at Hell's
Point.
Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Darryl Talley of the Buffalo Bills keeps his eye on the ball after
teeing off a long way in some direction on the 15th hole.
Bruce Smith, left, the host of the celebrity weekend, and Bernie
Kosar served as captains of their respective softball teams during a
three-inning game featuring area men's league players and
professional athletes at Harbor Park.
Photo by
L. TODD SPENCER
ABOVE: Probably the post popular spot on the course was at the 15th
hole tee box, where Jerry Parker was grilling up New York hots,
Italian sausages and all the fixings at the Footer's Sports Pub
location.
RIGHT: 6-foot-10 former Maury High star Joe Smith, now with the
NBA's Golden State Warriors, is probably the tallest player to grace
the outfield at Harbor Park.
LEFT: San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau enjoys signing an
autograph on a hat for a fan.
Photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT, above and left;
Photo by
L. TODD SPENCER, right
Washington Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler juggles lunch, golf and
an autograph for a fan while playing at Hell's Point. Shuler also
demonstrated long ball skills during the softball game. He crushed
one over the leftfield fence and sent a second shot to the warning
track at Harbor Park.
Staff photo by
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
by CNB