|
Babe Ruth Day is for the love of children
By Thad Mumau,
Correspondent
Fayetteville Observer Babe Ruth always
loved children and went out of his way to show it, and so, it is only
fitting that on a day honoring the great slugger, an exciting event is
being held to raise money for the Boys' and Girls' Club of Fayetteville
and Cumberland County.
North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley has
proclaimed today Babe Ruth Day in the state. Beginning at 9 a.m. and
lasting until 4 p.m., there will be a Boys' and Girls' Club of
Fayetteville/Cumberland County Charity Day.
It will be held in the Crown Expo Center in
conjunction with the annual Toy and Hobby Show. There will be 175 tables
that include baseball cards and collectibles, NASCAR cards and
memorabilia, dolls and toys.
Numerous items have been donated for a
silent auction and sale at tables designated for the Boys' and Girls'
Club benefit, and 100 percent of the proceeds from the charity portion
of the show will go to that organization.
The money will be used for Christmas gifts
for underprivileged youngsters, sports equipment for the local club and
for new Boys' and Girls' Club memberships.
Jeff Allen is heading up the event, one
that he hopes will become an annual part of the Christmas season in
Fayetteville.
''Many people have donated some really nice
things for this day,'' he says, ''and I think folks will be pleasantly
surprised at what they will find. I feel everyone who comes out will bid
and buy generously, keeping in mind what a good cause the Boys' and
Girls' Club is.''
Babe Ruth, who hit 714 home runs in his
major league career, slammed his first professional homer in
Fayetteville. After being raised in an orphanage, he always had a place
in his heart for children. He frequently visited them in hospitals and
participated in events that benefited children.
''That's why I think this is so neat,''
Allen says. ''The Babe loved kids so much, and this day is to help kids.
They tug at my heart, too, and that's why I wanted to put this day
together.''
Among items at the benefit are some
hard-bound Babe Ruth books; commemorative baseballs with his picture on
them; rookie baseball cards of Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr.; some
early cards of Barry Bonds, Cal Ripken Jr. and Mark McGwire; and framed
autographs and photographs of Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Feller and
Ferguson Jenkins as well as Bert Campaneris, Vida Blue and James
''Bonecrusher'' Smith, former heavyweight boxing champion.
The First Family is very involved, with a
signed letter from President George Bush and autographed photos of
former President George Bush and Florida governor Jeb Bush. There are
letters signed by the current United States President and by Secretary
of State Colin Powell.
There are rock 'n roll collector cards;
some old Bowman baseball cards; Hollywood autographs from the 1930s and
'40s; autographed photos of country and western singers from the '70s
and '80s; letters signed by former North Carolina basketball coach Dean
Smith; and sealed packs of collector cards of baseball, basketball,
football and hockey players from 1988 to 1990.
University of North Carolina fans may want
to get a 45 rpm record commemorating the Tar Heels' 1957 undefeated
national championship basketball team. The records are autographed by
Fayetteville's Joe Quigg, who sank two free throws in the third overtime
of the '57 NCAA title game to beat Kansas.
''We have some great stuff,'' says Allen,
a collector who donated several items for the benefit. ''We want to show
this year that this event works and then build on it. We want to help
these kids.''
Allen will be doing his part. A quick
perusal of items he's prepared reveals autographs by Betty Grable and
Clark Gable, special black-culture items, and Christian-themed
collectibles -- including the first “Keep Christ in Christmas” promotion
in a magazine.
“The irony is an ad attached to the page
is selling watches with the question, 'Is it better to give or
receive?'” Allen said, shaking his head.
Collectible items donated to Fayetteville
Urban Ministry next week will be added to the sale. And for those
looking for a more secular reason to give, the donations are
tax-deductible.
“We can accept old comic books, records,
whatever people would like to offer,” Long said. “For the grownups, it's
a great chance to clean out some closets and know you're doing it for a
good cause.”
“You can collect and collect, but what's
going to happen in the end with all that?” Allen asked. “Look around.
They say you can't take it with you, and I couldn't even squeeze much of
this in my casket.
“The Gospel of Luke said, 'Of those to
whom much has been given, much is expected.' I think it's time people in
Fayetteville take that to heart. It's such a little thing that can help
so many people.”
Allen expects to come home from the sale
with a cleaner house and a happier heart. But there are a few
collectibles he won't part with -- at least not yet.
One is a relatively nonvaluable baseball
card of Washington Senator pitcher Chuck Stobbs. Stobbs was a pitcher
for the Washington Senators whose dubious claim to fame was giving up
the first major league tape-measure home run to Mickey Mantle.
“He's the last of my original baseball card
collection,” Allen said. “And I keep it to remember we're all part of
something bigger than ourselves.”
And, if things go well at the sale,
something better than our stuff.
[top]
|
