Champions Dinner

The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County will hold their 9th Annual Champions Dinner on September 17, 2009 at the Expo Center in the Greene County Fairgrounds with former Atlanta Brave All Star and 2 time baseball MVP, Dale Murphy as the keynote speaker. The event is a fundraiser for the organization that serves many children annually from throughout Greeneville & Greene County with a variety of after-school and summer programs, youth sports events and many community and school outreach programs. This year�s event is title sponsored by Forward Air & Laughlin Memorial Hospital. The event will start with a reception at 6:00 pm to meet Dale Murphy, Dinner at 6:30 pm with the evening�s program to follow.

Dale Murphy was chosen in the first round of the 1974 Major League Draft by the Atlanta Braves. Drafted straight out of high school, Dale spent four years in the minor leagues before playing out a long and successful career with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies. He won back-to-back National League MVP awards in 1982 and 1983, and ended his career with 398 homeruns. Dale was one of the most beloved athletes to ever play in Atlanta. His number (#3) was retired by the Atlanta Braves and now hangs in Turner Field. Known as one of the true gentlemen of the game, Dale continues to lead by example, supporting numerous worthwhile charities. He travels the country speaking on behalf of his foundation--"I Won't Cheat"-- educating kids about the dangers of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. In 1987, Dale was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the "Sportsmen of the Year," representing major league baseball as the athlete "Who Cares the Most" and was honored as such by President Ronald Regan at the White House that same year. Dale is a sought-after motivational speaker and now divides his time between charity work, church work, and his family. He and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of eight children and grandparents to two boys.

Some of Dale�s major league highlights include being the youngest player in Major League Baseball history to win back-to-back MVP awards, won 2 consecutive Sporting News NL Player of the Year Awards, was named to NL All-Star Team 7 times, won 5 consecutive Gold Glove Awards for his fielding , named NL Player of the Month a record 6 times, won the Gillette Trophy for highest number of All-Star votes from the fans, won the Bart Giamatti Caring Award, was given the Exemplary Manhood Award by Brigham Young University, and was presented the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1985, recognizing him as the player who best fit the image and character of Lou Gehrig. His streak of 740 consecutive games that ran from 1981 through the middle of the 1986 season is the 12th longest in baseball history. In 1983, he became the sixth player in ML history to have at least 30 homeruns and 30 stolen bases in one season.

The Champions Dinner has become known for its dynamic speakers which have included past speakers such as University of Tennessee coaches Pat Summitt, Bruce Pearl, Phil Fulmer, Ray Mears, Johnny Majors and NFL Hall of Famer, Mike Singletary. �This year promises to be no different, with Dale Murphy,� stated Scott Bullington, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club. �Dale Murphy is an inspiring and motivational speaker who has had a wide variety of sports and personal experiences that have made him the person he is today�. This year�s Boys & Girls Club Champions Dinners is title sponsored by Forward Air and Laughlin Memorial Hospital. The speaker is sponsored by C & C Millwright Maintenance and RPC/ProCote. The dinner for the event is sponsored by DTR Tennessee. Other major sponsors to date include American Greetings, Andrew Johnson Bank, Appalachian Forrest Products, CE Minerals, Consumer Credit Union, First Tennessee Bank, Grand Rental Station, Green Bank, Greeneville Federal Bank, Greeneville Light & Power, Greeneville Iron & Paper, Heritage Community Bank, J & J Warehousing, Landair Transport & Distribution Services, Marge Saulsbury, Marsh Petroleum, MD Recycling, Randy & Carolyn Brown Capps, Richard Roberts, Summers Taylor, TA & Carla Bewley, Takoma Medical Associates, Takoma Regional Hospital, The Greeneville Sun, the Town of Greeneville, Vulcan Materials and the Wal-Mart Distribution Center. A few tickets remain for the event. To purchase a ticket or table contact Scott Bullington at 787-9322 or stop by the Boys & Girls Club located at 740 West Church Street in Greeneville.