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 International Sugar Organization and Datagro Consulting came together at the legendary Waldorf Astoria on May 16, 2012 for their sixth annual New York Sugar Conference. Hundreds of participants gathered together in the Starlight Roof for the full day event of discussions and presentations, all pertaining to the global sugar industry. This annual conference serves as one of the most important platforms in the sugar business where people from around the world have the chance to share and highlight current information on the production, consumption, and trade of sugar and ethanol.

A main focus on this year’s New York Sugar Conference was the obstacles the industry is currently facing, as the demand for sugar and ethanol are increasing. While the industry is constantly trying to create more sustainable measures of planting and harvesting sugar cane, the future of government relations are at times uncertain, having an impact on global sugar companies. As the world economy has changed over the last few years, the cost for sugar production has increased, also affecting the international market.

The conference kicked off with a speech from distinguished speaker Dr. Plinio Nastari, President of Datagro a world leader as a consultancy company that focuses on sugar and ethanol. As Brazil sits atop the international platform as the world’s largest sugar producer, Dr. Nastari focused his speech on the current state of Brazil’s production and went through a deep discussion of when Brazil will be ready for another expansion spree.

Dr. Nastari highlighted a few key aspects that have been affecting Brazil’s sugar cane sector in recent times. New technological advances in machinery have changed the production systems in Brazil’s sugar cane industry, which leads to higher costs for the companies, as well as higher losses. The financial crisis in 2008 to 2009 created a reduced rhythm in cane reform. The overall economy of the world has been affected, and the sugar industry was not spared. Dr. Nastari discussed how the rising costs of cutting, loading, and transporting sugar has changed, all of which have impacted Brazil’s cane sector.

Brazil’s natural environment plays a great role in providing an ideal setting for sugar cane growth, but has also posed as an issue. In 2009, Brazil suffered from excessive rains. During the following year of 2010 there was a long drought that stretched into 2011, which was then accompanied by frost. Although not fully developed, the canes had to be harvested prematurely. Pests and diseases such as orange rust and migdolus fryanus have also infested some of Brazil’s sugar cane.

Although there were many obstacles, Brazil produced 558.35 million tons in cane production in 2011 to 2012. Dr. Nastari estimated a growth of production in the upcoming year of 562.60 million tons of cane, signifying a continuous growth in the Brazilian industry. In 2011 to 2012, Brazil’s sugar production stood at 35.88 million tons. Of that, 11.35 million tons were consumed domestically, while 24.19 million tons were exported.

Ethanol is a main component in Brazil as well. There are currently 118 plants in Brazil that are accredited by U.S. EPA as suppliers of Advanced Bioethanol, as well as 15 installations that are certified by Bonsucro to supply sugar and ethanol to the EU. Dr. Nastari stated that “demand for ethanol exports to the US is mounting.” Last year, Brazil produced 22.63 billion liters of ethanol. Of that, 22.35 billion liters were used domestically, and 1.92 billion liters were exported.

“If sugar prices weaken from additional world production, Brazilian producers may choose to produce more anhydrous ethanol, for the domestic and export markets,” said Dr. Nastari.

While Dr. Nastari pointed out the short term challenges Brazil faces with their sugar planting and harvesting, he remained very optimistic on the future of the industry. Like many other countries, Brazil wants to find sustainable ways of production. Dr. Nastari stated that the potential is great but it comes with costs. He believes that future expansion is very likely to happen, keeping Brazil as a main player in producing sugar.

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