New York, U.S.A. – The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, will host its 27 Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on Monday, September 24, 2012.

NBC Sports Icon Bob Costas will once again return as Master of Ceremonies, hosting the dinner which pays tribute to philanthropic heroes and sports legends that inspire and motivate those affected by spinal cord injuries. The much anticipated event will assemble celebrities and corporate leaders to support the efforts of the Buoniconti Family, along with their numerous longtime supporters.

The star-studded event promises to be an unforgettable evening, as the 2012 Great Sports Legends are honored. Legends honorees include:

• Shaquille O’Neal, Four-time NBA Championship winner and one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players; leading the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive championships and a fourth championship with the Miami Heat, O’Neal is one of the NBA’s most accomplished players;
• Joe Torre, Celebrated manager of the Yankees, who led the team to four World Series titles; two-time American League Manager of the year and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball;
• Marshall Faulk , National Football League Hall of Fame inductee, Three-time Offensive Player of the Year and led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl Championship and was  named NFL MVP in 2000 and 10th leading rusher in NFL history;
• Tony Perez ,  Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member, whose number 24 was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in 2000 and two-time World Series Winner;
• Mark Martin , NASCAR stock car driver in the Sprint Cup Series; named to the franchise  list of “50 Greatest Drivers of All Time,” with 40 wins and 443 top tens;
• Lorena Ochoa , Named LPGA’s #1 female golfer from 2007 to 2010 and since 1989, Ochoa has won 129 local, national and international titles, including 27 LPGA events. Lorena is  considered Mexico’s best golfer of all time;
• Jake LaMotta , International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee recognized as one of the 10 greatest middleweights of all time. Nicknamed “The Raging Bull,” the World Middleweight Champion was portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1980 film Raging Bull.
• Lisa Leslie , Three-time WNBA MVP, leading the Los Angeles Sparks to a WNBA Championship; first team sport athlete to win four consecutive Olympic Gold Medals;

Famed NBA Player and NBA Championship Winner, Alonzo Mourning, will be presented with The Buoniconti Fund Award and Grammy Award Winning Musician and Producer, Emilio Estefan, will be honored with The Outstanding Business Leader Award.

Held in the illustrious Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf= Astoria, the much anticipated event is not only expected to sell out, but also raise millions of dollars for the spinal cord injury research programs at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

The evening will begin with cocktails, Tiffany & Co.’s Mystery Blue Box Wall and a Buy It Now Store where attendees can purchase one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia, amazing jewelry, spectacular getaways, a unique Kidz Korner and other exclusive items. The dinner program will feature a celebrity concert performance by legendary musicians, Earth, Wind & Fire.

There will be a live auction boasting travel and entertainment packages, sports and music memorabilia, and experiences including the opportunity to golf with the greatest golfer of all time, Jack Nicklaus, all prior to the presentation of the evening’s awards.

Since its inception in 1985, the Great Sports Legends Dinner has honored more than 283 sports legends and honorees and has raised more than $75 million for The Miami Project’s spinal cord injury research programs.

“We are extremely honored to have so many legendary athletes, celebrities, corporate leaders and other influential figures on our side when it comes to raising awareness and funds to support finding a cure for paralysis,” says Nick Buoniconti, Founder of The Buoniconti Fund.

“Not only within the realm of sports do we see spinal cord injuries. Millions of people worldwide have suffered spinal cord injuries, leading to paralysis. Our biggest hope through The Buoniconti Fund and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis is that soon we will make medical history by finding a cure for paralysis.”

Past Great Sports Legends and Honorees include: Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Muhammad Ali, Magic Johnson, Dan Marino, Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Wayne Gretzky, Jack Nicklaus, Nancy Kerrigan, John Elway, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Mickey Mantle, Tony Hawk, Dorothy Hamill, Evander Holyfield, Jerry Rice, Lennox Lewis, Andre Agassi, Cal Ripken, Gloria Estefan, Walter Cronkite, Bill Parcells and many more.

Tickets start at $850 per person and can be purchased by phone at http://www.thebuonicontifund.com/GSLD. Sponsorships and opportunities to sit with legends are available. For more information about The Buoniconti Fund, please visit www.thebuonicontifund.com, Facebook, or Twitter.

Image Courtesy of  Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

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The Chicago Bears (4-3) posted a hard-fought 24-18 victory over elected home side Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) in the 5^th NFL International Series at Wembley, London.

The Bucs (who played at Wembley as recently as 2009, when they took on the New England Patriots) were welcomed to the field with rapturous applause as tight end Kellen Winslow Jr ran out onto the ‘hallowed turf’ bearing the Union Jack. The Bears, who played at Wembley 25 years ago in the inaugural American Bowl, were enjoying a large amount of support, with a significant contingent of the near 77,000 crowd seemingly Chicago fans.

The game started with a 3 and out from the Bears offence, and they looked as if the occasion, likened to a Superbowl in atmosphere by Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Richard Dent, may have unnerved them somewhat. If they were slightly overawed, they soon overcame it, and the league leading Matt Forte, who has 908 yards rushing already this season, ran in a 32-yard TD to give the Bears the lead.

Forte went on to enjoy a monster performance in London, rushing for 145 yards on just 25 carries. An injury to running back Earnest Graham sent things from bad to worse for the Bucs, leaving only the inexperienced Kregg Lumpkin active. Veteran cornerback Ronde Barber did pull back two points for the Bucs when he tackled Forte in the endzone for a safety.

The much maligned Chicago offensive line, who had given up 19 sacks on Jay Cutler so far this season, put in a strong performance, allowing Cutler to find Roy Williams on the 25-yard TD pass in the second quarter. Although Cutler was being given better protection than he has had all season, the story of the game was the Bears work running the football.

Marion Barber collected the 50^th rushing TD of his career as he powered into the endzone from 12 yards out. The Bears were then close to adding to their lead when Lance Briggs intercepted on Freeman’s first pass after the Barber TD and, despite the linebacker taking the ball all the way to the endzone, a Chicago player was called for a push in the back, and Briggs’s celebrations were cut short.

The game was brought back to life early in the fourth quarter as Winsow collected a TD pass, and although Freeman, who coincidentally made his first ever NFL appearance at Wembley two years previously, failed to find Mike Williams for the extra two, and the Bucs were looking a threat in the deep for the first time in the game.

A fourth quarter comeback continued to look on the cards as Freeman, who was showing a composure in the fourth that he had lacked throughout the game, found Dezmon Briscoe for the 24-yard TD and the Bucs kicked the extra point to cut the Bears lead to three points.

The Bears then kicked a field goal to establish a six point lead, and with less than two minutes left in the game, the Bucs began a drive on their own 28 yard line. Although they looked dangerous, recording consecutive first downs, D.J. Moore grabbed an interception with around a minute to play to effectively end the game.

The Bears will fly home hoping that their offensive line has turned a corner, with good performances against both the Vikings and now the Bucs, and that Forte can carry on running the ball with the same effectiveness that has seen him lead the NFL in rushing yards so far this season.

Head Coach Raheem Morris and the Bucs will be disappointed that they could not complete their fourth quarter comeback, but cannot be too aggrieved, as Tampa Bay did not turn up in their first three quarters.

They leave London in better spirits than two years ago, when they were on the end of a 35-7 demolition by the Patriots, and Morris will see a lot of potential on his side as they head into their bye-week.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoBears

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