CELEBRITIES
CELEBRITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
PPA now offers charities, community organizations, and corporations the opportunity to have a sports and/or media personality participate in their programs and fund raising events.
For a fee donation your organization can obtain a pro to assist in obtaining your goals in fund raising and/or public relations and awareness campaigns. It has been proven many times that through the participation of a pro athlete and/or media personality, the anticipation of the event grows, and it's attendance greatly increases in size and income, than those events without. People are drawn to, and tend to want to be more included and involved when celebrities are present.
Our PPA members are available to appear and/or participate in your special event. Members of PPA come from a wide variety of professional sports, media and entertainment professions.
- Personal appearances
- Speaking engagements
- Autograph signings
- Golf outings
- Trade shows
- Corporate hospitality/Super Bowl events
- Product endorsements/sponsorships
- Other promotional needs
PPA PROVIDES KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Former Denver Bronco Willie Oshodin represented Pro Players Association as the keynote speaker at the Highlands Ranch High School Freshman Football Banquet, Thursday, November 5, 2009.
"His speech was the perfect fit for this group of players and parents. He was such a great motivator! I truly appreciate all that you did for us to make this happen!"--Lynda Webb, Chair, HRHS Freshman Football Banquet
CORPORATE EVENT INCLUDED PUNT, PASS & KICK WITH THE PROS
A corporate event held at Invesco Field offered an autograph session, punt, pass and kick on the field and the opportunity to mingle with the celebrities for over 2500 guests. Participants included Master of Ceremonies TV Sportscaster Mark McIntosh, former Denver Broncos Billy Thompson, Howard Griffith and Randy Gradishar, Tyrone Braxton, Mark Jackson, Steve Sewell, Haven Moses, Le-Lo Lang, Ron Egloff, and Dave Studdard.
For more information on the Celebrity Assistance Program, please contact our office at: 720.327.9207, or proplayersassoc@aol.com.
Billy Thompson, Howard Griffith and Randy Gradishar signing autographs for guests at a corporate event in the Broncos Locker Room at Invesco Field at Mile High.
READ COOP'S BRONCOS BLOG
IN MEMORY
http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mark_cooper/
Our beloved friend, Executive Board Member, and former Denver Bronco Aaron Smith who passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 46, Saturday, November 8, 2008.
Our deepest sympathies and love is extended to his family from our family at Pro Players Association. Visitation is scheduled for Thursday, November 13, 2008, from 4pm-9pm, at Caldwell-Kirk Mortuary, 2101 Marion St., Denver, CO 80205, Ph: 303-861-4644. Funeral service is at 11am, Friday, November 14, 2008.
Obituary from the Rocky Mountain News:
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AARON CLAYTON SMITH, |
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Aaron Smith presenting a door-prize item to its winner at Celebrity Bowling Tournament.
GOOSE ENTERS HALL, REALIZES LIFELONG DREAM
'Storybook career' ends with 17-minute acceptance speech in Cooperstown
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Rich "Goose" Gossage, who overcame repeated episodes of youthful doubt to become a ferocious pitcher that planted doubts in the heads of Major League batters for 22 years, accepted the final affirmation of immortal status Sunday afternoon.
With his late parents and benefactors in his heavy heart and former New York Yankees teammates in his sight at the Clark Sports Center, Gossage took bows as the valedictorian of the Hall of Fame Class of 2008.
After being the last of three award winners and six inductees introduced by Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark, Gossage held aloft his freshly-minted plaque to elicit another round of "Goooose!" calls from the sun-baked crowd.
"This is truly an out-of-body experience," Gossage said, launching into a 17-minute acceptance speech, during which he often appeared close to breaking down. "The most amazing thing, outside of the birth of my three boys, that I've ever been through.
"My whole career has been storybook. I've kept running into the right people at the right time. I've often said that I was like a kid on a ride at Disney World, and I didn't get off for 22 years. To my hundreds of teammates through the years ... thanks for sharing the ride with me. It was amazing."
Some of those teammates were sitting right below, looking up at him on the stage: Graig Nettles, Ron Guidry, Jim Beattie, Roy White. All former Yankees, part of a team contingent that also included general manager Brian Cashman, COO Lonn Trost and Vice Chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner.
The entourage reflected Gossage's induction with a Yankees cap on his plaque, although he had played for eight other teams during his big league career.
"I thank the Yankees contingent that came to share this great moment with me," Gossage said during his speech. "I'm very honored to be wearing a Yankee cap into the Hall of Fame today, and to continue that great tradition."
Fulfilling his promise to be present might have seemed difficult for Cashman, but he said he didn't have a hard time at all breaking away from his team's most important series of the season.
"I'm proud to be here as another great player representing the Yankees joins the greatest ever," said Cashman. "I'll listen to the game [in Boston] tonight in the car on the way home. There's nothing else I can do to help there anyway.
"I'm humbled to be here," Cashman added. "This is hallowed ground."
Gossage thus became the 25th Yankee in the Hall of Fame -- but the first born in Colorado.
"There's something else I can't even put into words," Gossage confided in a brief meeting with the media immediately after the ceremonies. "All I ever wanted to do was put on a big league uniform one time ... and it turned into 22 years."
He never imagined it would come to this, even during a considerably proficient prep athletic career in his native Colorado Springs.
He responded to predictions of future big league stardom by his father, Jake -- who passed away when Gossage was in the 11th grade -- with, "Aww, c'mon dad, that's never going to happen."
Sandlot catches began with getting goaded by his older brother -- "You're throwing like a sissy," -- and Gossage responding by putting everything, and more, behind the next pitch.
"I'd be all arms and legs flailing, coming right at you," he recalled. "That's where I got that motion."
Gossage's confidence was so low that as he neared his high-school graduation, he applied for a job as a Little League coach. He got the position and stormed excitedly into his house to share the news with his mom.
Susanne Gossage said, "That's nice, son. Well, this gentleman has a job for you, too."
And Gossage followed her gaze to the man sitting on the couch, Bill Kimble, a scout for the Chicago White Sox, who had just taken him in the ninth round of the 1970 First-Year Player Draft.
Later that year in Appleton of the Midwest League, "All my worst fears were realized. I couldn't get anybody out. After that season, I later found out, the Appleton manager had decided to release me but was talked out of it. I'm glad he was."
So were the nine teams for which Gossage posted 124 wins and 310 saves and the two (1978, 1980-81 Yankees and the 1984 San Diego Padres) he pitched into the postseason.
The nine included the Pittsburgh Pirates, in 1977, much too briefly to soothe Andrew Dreyfuss, the great-grandson of charter Pirates owner Barney, one of three inductees elected through the Hall's Veterans Committee on pioneers and executives.
"I just wish you were in Pittsburgh for more than one year," Dreyfuss said during his own acceptance speech on his great-grandfather's behalf. "You turned out to be pretty good, and we could have used you."
Pretty good, indeed.
The Goose bent, but never broke. His chin quivered a few times, and he had to focus on his notes through moist eyes now and then. But he needn't have worried about challenging 2001 inductee Bill Mazeroski's brevity record of 2 minutes, 15 seconds.
He got to the end, and probably just in time.
"I want to thank the Hall of Fame staff for making me feel so special. And I want to thank the fans here and watching on TV ... you are the reason baseball is as great as it is today," Gossage said, turning from the lip of the stage toward the 56 other Hall of Famers waiting to throw their arms around him in an eternal embrace.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
CELEBRITY BARTENDERS & WAITERS
Pro Players Association presented “Celebrity Bartender Night for Charity” at the Purple Martini in Greenwood Village, on March 15th which raised approximately $6,600 in funding for the Fetal Hope Foundation.
Professional athletes and media personalities from all around Colorado, came out to mix, shake, stir, pull and pour drinks behind the bar last Thursday night at the Purple Martini, Denver Tech Center. They stirred up some real fun and excitement while collecting tips and auctioning off some awesome items all for a great cause.
The bartenders included professional athletes and media personalities such as former Heavyweight Boxer Ron Lyle, former World Champion Boxer “Lightning” Lonnie Smith, current NASCAR Driver JimBob Rogers, 2007 NFL Draft Prospects - former University of Texas Longhorns Football National Champion Kasey Studdard, Ultimate Fighter/Kickboxer 5X World Champion Jeff “Big Diesel” Ford, former Green Bay Packer Walter Stanley, former Denver Broncos Ron Egloff, Aaron Smith, Mark Cooper, Le-Lo Lang, Larry Brunson, Michael Ditchfield, former Kansas City Chief Fred McHenry, USBA Boxer Andrea Orozco, Pro Bodybuilder and former Mr. America Tom Terwilliger, and 7NEWS Sports Anchor Steve Gottsegen. Some special guest “hero” bartenders who helped raise the excitement levels in the house were four members of the Colorado Army National Guard. They took command and had everyone cheering when they made their way behind the bar.
Awesome items were auctioned live by professional auctioneer Christine Dickensheet. Some highlights of the auction included the rights to display your business logo on a NASCAR, the opportunity to train with World Champion Kickboxer Jeff Ford, and the knockout bidding for the autographed boxing glove of World Champion “Lightning” Lonnie Smith! Then suddenly the front doors were thrown open to the roaring engine of a custom motorcycle blazing into the Purple’s lobby! True Kustom Paint & Fabrication and Mile High Polishing brought their award-winning bike inside for a glance of the fabulous artistic detail made available by their donation for the auction of a $2500 gift certificate towards custom work!
The most creative bartending award went to former Bronco Mark Cooper for his ingenious pouring of “Coop’s Stoplight”. The concoction was made of three-levels of red, yellow and green colored martinis, a real hit with the crowd! Later everyone joined in to dance to the sounds of the DJ’s spinning tunes.
The Fetal Hope Foundation's mission is to provide support, provide information, fund research, increase awareness and be an outlet for leading medical information pertaining to fetal distresses and syndromes. They are all about arming families with information to save their baby's lives.
Many thanks go out to the major sponsors of the evening, Purple Martini, Bacardi, Coors, First Data Corporation, KMGH-7 and FedEx-Kinkos. Thanks to all the celebrities for volunteering their time. Kudos to the Greenwood Village Police Department for their excellent extra attention provided for the event.
The event was so successful that another is in the planning stages. Don’t miss out on this night of fun, excitement, good cheer, and celebrities for a great cause! Keep checking here for more info on this upcoming event.
ABC News Anchors Bertha Lynn and Jim Hooley in a "LIVE" interview with Dave Studdard, former Denver Bronco about the Pro Players Association Celebrity Bartender Night. Many thanks to ABC-TV Denver Affiliate KMGH-7 for promoting our Celebrity Bartender Night…and kudos to Steve Gottsegen, Sports Anchor, who not only promoted the event on the air, but also came out to bartend!
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