A Nice Thing By Joe Girardi On June 15th

Some MLB players, wives and others do various charitable duties because of the tax writeoff.  Some do it to look good.  There are many, however, who get involved with charitable causes because they want to; because the charity means something to that person.  For example, I've been involved with the book A Glove of Their Own (just won the Ben Franklin Award for best book), writing about Pay It Forward Day, which takes place next Sunday, June 7th, and how proceeds from the book go to various baseball-related kids charities.  I've also been involved with Curt & Shonda Schilling as they get involved in the Aspergers Association of New England, since their son has Aspergers and they are my friends.  I've found, and it's pretty obvious, that the more personal meaning there is to a charity, the harder someone will work for it.

Which brings us to Yankees skipper (is it just me, or everytime the word "skipper" gets thrown around I think of "Gilligan's Island?") Joe Girardi.  Joe's dad, Jerry, has Alzheimer's.  I have put a lot of thought into this disease.  Of my four grandparents, three died from complications resulting from Alzheimer's.  I have an aunt who, at 75, was recently placed in a senior care facility because of Alzheimer's.  I have an uncle, the aunt's brother, who's scared to death that he's going to get it.  My thoughts have ranged from how terrible a disease it is to how, in many cases, the positive note you can take from it is the person suffering from it isn't really suffering because they don't know they have it.  I believe, in many cases, this disease can be worse for the family than it is for the afflicted.

Girardi is going to host a dinner on June 15th and give an award to his former teammate, David Cone.  The award is The Jerry Girardi Award.  Proceeds from the dinner will go to Alzheimer's research.  Here's a short pre-cap of what you'll see if you go:

Girardi Benefit: Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was the catcher for David Cone's perfect game for the Bronx Bombers in 1999, will present his battery mate with the Jerry Girardi Award on June 15 at Girardi's "Catch 25" benefit to assist Alzheimer's research. The gala will be held at New York City's Grand Central Oyster Bar. Girardi's father is afflicted with Alzheimer's. Cone will receive the second annual award. Girardi was last year's inaugural recipient. Food Network host Sara Moulton and ESPNews anchor Mike Yam will also be among the honorees. For information and to purchase tickets contact 212.972.5337 or email johnnycigarpr@aol.com.

Sound like fun?  Listen, it's a serious disease but Joe's doing a really nice thing by naming an award after his father and getting a former teammate involved.  You can cry in you soup and scream "Whoa is me!" (I spealled whoa wrong, didn't I?) or you can take advantage of your fame, of your position, and make the best of it.  That's what Joe Girardi is doing.  It's days like June 15th in which Joe isn't just the manager of the Yankees.  It's days like that in which he is a son, trying to do something special for his father.  If you can attend, please go for it.

Here's a longer description of the event if you just can't get enough of this:

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, Former Yankee/Met David Cone, Yes Network/ESPN's Michael Kay Headline Stars at Second Annual "Remember When, Remember Now" Gala at Grand Central Oyster Bar to Benefit Girardi's Catch 25 Foundation for Alzheimer's Research

***Cone to receive Jerry Girardi Award; Sara Moulton feted with Ruth Friedman Tribute Award; ESPN's Yam to receive Joan Pasheluk Tribute Award***

New York, May 29, 2009 — New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi will again host a fundraiser for a cause near and dear to his heart – Alzheimer's research. The second annual “Remember When, Remember Now” Gala, a benefit for Girardi’s Catch 25 Foundation to assist Alzheimer’s research, will be held at the Grand Central Oyster Bar on Monday night, June 15, in New York City. The Yankees skipper will be joined by David Cone, the former Yankees and Mets pitcher now an analyst on YES Network, who will receive the Jerry Girardi Award.  Joe’s dad, Jerry Girardi, suffers from Alzheimer’s.

Event chair Michael Kay, YES Network’s “Voice of the Yankees” and 1050 ESPN Radio host, and former Mets and Yankee hurler Al Leiter, now an analyst on YES Network, will be among the celebrity guests. Sara Moulton, the former Food Network star and now host of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” on public television, and ESPN News anchor Mike Yam, will also be honored.

Moulton, the former Food Network host who is one of the hardest working women in the culinary industry, will receive the second annual Ruth Friedman Tribute Award, which honors the memory of the Oyster Bar executive chef Sandy Ingber’s mother in law, who was afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Sandy, his wife Susan, and Girardi will make the presentation. Moulton will be feted for her culinary excellence and good will. Moulton and Ingber were classmates at the Culinary Institute of America. Yam will receive the Joan Pasheluk Tribute Award for his efforts in raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
 
The public is welcome to attend, and tickets are priced at $250 per person, while tables of 10 are priced at $5,000 (exclusive "Box Seat Table" which include celebrity table host), and $2,500. Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 PM, with the dinner and program starting at 7:30 PM. For information and to purchase tickets contact 212.972.5337 or email johnnycigarpr@aol.com.
 
CBS Sports' signature voice Jim Nantz joins Girardi, Kay, Ingber, Cirillo World president John Cirillo, and James J. Houlihan, partner Houlihan-Parnes Realtors LLC, as honorary chairman for the benefit.  Yankees’ skipper’s father Jerry Girardi is afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease. The New York City Chapter of The Alzheimer’s Association, the Central Illinois Chapter, based in Peoria, and Alzheimer's Research at the Texas Medical Center's Neurological Institute will be the beneficiaries of the event.

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