Gala 2006

The cards were on the table and the chips were down, but the Tug McGraw Foundation walked away the winner at their second annual Signature event held Friday, November 3, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 2006 gala event, “An Evening with Tim McGraw and Friends,” brought together a bevy of friends, fans, and celebrities to raise funds and awareness for the fight to improve the quality of life for those confronted with brain tumors. Acclaimed sports commentator Bob Costas returned to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the second year in a row, welcoming a crowd of over 700 to the Crystal Tea Room for the celebrated affair. L.C. Christenson, a former teammate of the legendary pitcher Tug McGraw, served as chairman of the event that was sponsored by Motorola (represented by Scott Albright and wife Wendy) and Continental Airlines.

The event garnered the support of a number of celebrities including football great Jim McMahon, entrepreneur Kelly Perdew (winner of the second season of television's The Apprentice), baseball superstars Mike Schmidt and Steve Carleton, NFL Hall of Famer Mark Rypien, and many members of the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies World Series team. Other special guests were Kate Carr from ABC2, Al Musella and the Brain Trust group, Foundation supporter Todd Wilkins, and members of both the Jarred Williams Foundation and the BeHeadstrong organization.

We were also thrilled to welcome survivor Denis McDowell and his wife Judy on what happened to also be their wedding anniversary.

Tim McGraw, country superstar and honorary chairman for the Foundation, attended with his wife, the equally renowned Faith Hill, and welcomed everyone to share in their support on behalf of his late father and the Foundation's namesake. A delicious dinner was provided for all their guests in conjunction with a host of activities, including Texas Hold ‘Em poker, live and silent auctions, outstanding musical entertainment, and a special awards ceremony honoring the contributions of some very special and distinguished individuals.

Attendees for the event were in for a treat. To begin the program, ten-year brain tumor survivor and classical pianist Matthew Zachary performed his composition titled “Simplicity” from his album Scribblings . Singer/songwriter Jeannie Kauffman soon followed suit, stirring the crowd with her poignant and personal “All In For a Cure.” (For more on both Zachary and Kauffman, visit these websites which reflect their support in the fight against brain cancer respectively: Zachary's Steps for Living and Kauffman's Jeannie's Cure.)

The first of the evening's honorees was Tom Muldoon, president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mr. Muldoon was presented the “Ya Gotta Believe” award for his outstanding work establishing community participation and support for the Foundation with Philadelphia businesses. Author and entrepreneur Kelly Perdew and Tug McGraw's son, Mark McGraw, presented the award.

Honoree Bill Giles, chairman of the Philadelphia Phillies, was acknowledged with the “Team Leadership” award. Presented by Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and National League All-Star Bob Boone, along with Tug's younger son Matthew, the award noted Giles' business accomplishments and corporate leadership on behalf of the Foundation.

Superstar first baseman Jim Thome, formerly of the Phillies and currently with the Chicago White Sox, was acknowledged together with his wife Andrea with the “Hannah Uhrmacher” award for their unending support “both on and off the field.” The award was announced by host Costas and accepted by Jim via a personal video presentation.

In recognition of his outstanding leadership in the field of brain tumor research, Dr. Darrell Bigner was honored with the “Tug McGraw Researcher of the Year” award. Dr. Bigner is the leading researcher and director of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke. Honorary chairman Tim McGraw presented the award with brain tumor survivor Kris Campbell, Lisa Huhrmacher, and Foundation supporter Genna Clemen.

At the close of the program, both host Costas and Tim McGraw were given the “Good Guy” award for their consistent support of the Foundation's mission and the evening event. Following the awards program, guests were treated to musical entertainment by both Darius Rucker, lead singer of the multi-platinum rock group Hootie and the Blowfish, and the rousing country trio, Trick Pony.