Breakfast with Champions Raises $20K for MCUW
by Carla Clark
Jan 22, 2010
THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Carlton Woods Clubhouse of The Woodlands was the scene Tuesday, Jan. 19, for the second annual “Breakfast with Champions”. The event raised $20,000 to go toward the $3.7 million 2009-2010 campaign goal. Houston Channel 13’s sportscaster, Tim Melton along with former Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns football star Gerald Irons hosted 7 celebrity sports champions to have breakfast to support Montgomery County United Way.
This year’s format was slightly different in that area businesses sponsored tables and invited their employees or customers to sit at a table with one of the champions. MCUW’s Chairman of the Board Tim Welbes and 2009 Lone Star Leaders chair Bret Strong offered thanks to the 10 area company sponsors for attending. Companies included: McKesson Pharmaceuticals, PBK, CB& I, Anadarko, Lonnie Holland, HTS Consultants, Huntsman, and Consolidated Communications along with The Strong Firm and The Woodlands Development Company.
A fabulous breakfast buffet was provided by Carlton Woods and Tim Melton and Gerald Irons asked questions of the champions regarding their “glory days” in their respective sports.
Boston Celtics Coach Bill Fitch was asked “What was it like to coach Larry Bird?” His response was “It was like having a night off. He was a great player and he made his team better.”
Former Houston Astros pitcher Jim Deshaies had advice for current pitchers “We don’t pitch inside enough. Back in my day, during the “Brushback” pitches, we tried to keep it around the ribs to keep the batter hopping.”
Laura Wilkinson, former Olympic Diver, said “her journey was almost a bigger deal than receiving her Gold medal.” In the Sydney 2000 trials, she broke her foot and spent 10 weeks in a cast. She would stand on the 10 meter platform and pretend dive. It encouraged her team mates that she kept on practicing and made her journey worthwhile.
Tory James who played for the Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots won 2 Super Bowl rings. He said “giving the rings to his Mom and Dad meant more to him than the actual Super Bowl experience.”
Willis High School’s Michael Bishop, Canadian Football star and former New England Patriots player, was asked about the role that chemistry plays on a team. He replied “Chemistry creates wins on and off the field.”
Gerald Irons also answered some questions of his own including “When Larry Zonka used to say that you flipped the crazy switch on, what did that mean?” Gerald said “I was a gentleman off the field but when I was playing I had a single minded purpose, to win.”
Former New York Yankees and Houston Astros baseball player Doug Drabek and Houston Rockets former star and current commentator Matt Bullard were also among the champions donating their time for the event.
2010 Montgomery County United Way Breakfast with Champions sports stars stop for a photo after visiting with area business professionals who sponsored tables to support MCUW’s annual campaign.
Pictured Back Row (l to r): Houston Astros’ Jim DeShaies, New England Patriots’ Tory James, Houston Rockets’ Matt Bullard. Front Row (l to r): Olympic Platform Diver Laura Wilkinson, Houston Astros’ Doug Drabek, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets Coach Bill Fitz, New England Patriots’ Michael Bishop, Channel 13’s Tim Melton and Oakland Raiders’ Gerald Irons.
