Sabathia, Canty, Anthony, Davis, Raisman To Be Honored At 33rd Annual Thurman Munson Dinner Feb. 5

Jan. 24, 2013 - PRLog -- The 33rd annual Thurman Munson Award recipients have been announced  and include: Aly Raisman, U.S.A.  Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast; CC Sabathia, Yankees all-star pitcher; Chris Canty, New York Giants defensive end; Ike Davis, New York Mets first baseman; and Greg Anthony, former Knicks guard current  CBS Sports/Turner Sports/YES Network basketball analyst. The AHRC New York City Foundation will present the awards on Tuesday night, February 5, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

In addition, Yankees rookie pitcher David Phelps will receive the second annual “Rising Star” Award.
The awards remember the late, great Yankees catcher and captain Thurman Munson. Diana Munson, Thurman’s widow, will attend her 33rd straight benefit, having been involved since its inception, raising nearly $12 million to assist children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Thurman Munson Awards are presented for success on the field of play and philanthropic works off the field.
For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner call 212-249-6188.

Raisman brought home Olympic gold from London in 2012; Sabathia has been the stalwart of the Yankees pitching staff since 20xx including the world championship season of 2008; Canty is a member of two Giants Super Bowl championship teams.

The AHRC New York City Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives, including programs of AHRC New York City. AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 15,000 children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities.

The list of notable sports legends previously honored with “Thurmans” includes:  Muhammed Ali, Arthur Ashe, Yogi Berra, Mariano Rivera, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Patrick Ewing, Harry Carson, Tom Seaver,  Gary Carter.    

CC and his wife, Amber, co-founded the “PitCCh In Foundation,” designed to enrich the lives of inner city youth through various community outreach, sports and educational programs. “PitCCh In has three signature programs: the All Star Baseball Clinic, the Youth Backpack Program and the Christmas Caravan.

Over the last few years, the foundation has been responsible for numerous programs in the New York Tri-State area and Vallejo, CA  including: the distribution of over 10,000 thousand back to school backpacks for low income children; the redevelopment of the North Vallejo Little League baseball complex where CC played as a child; raising of funds for the JCC Therapeutic Nursery in New Jersey; an ongoing commitment to the Boys and Girls Club of America.

CC was recently inducted into the Boys and Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame (2012), and has been working in the community to assist families hit the hardest by Hurricane Sandy.

Each holiday season, CC and Amber embrace the role of playing secret Santa on both coasts. They host a annual holiday party at the MLB Fan Cave in Manhattan for youth from the Boys and Girls Club. On the West coast, CC and Amber return to their hometown of Vallejo, CA for additional days of giving back to families in need and the community

Davis is the son of a Thurman teammate, pitcher Ron Davis, so the Munson Award takes on added significance. “When I told my dad that I was being honored at the Thurman Munson Dinner he was thrilled,” said Ike. “My dad and Thurman played together for two years and he always told me he was the fiercest competitor he ever played with during his career. My dad always told me that no one wanted to win more than Thurman Munson. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to meeting his family.”

Davis hosts an annual charity event with the proceeds going to Solving Kids’ Cancer (SKC) and the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. Davis lost his childhood friend, Mike Lio, to Ewing’s Sarcoma and has devoted his philanthropic efforts to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Davis also participates in the Mets Amazin’ Calls program which connects players with fans who have Amazin' stories. The Mets call children and adults who have displayed heroic acts of courage, are committed to community service, are overcoming health challenges, or other deserving individuals.