Around Town
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Honoring Michigan's Finest
a
Potential bidders
examine the silent
auction items.
The Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of ame
honors some of the state's great athletes.
LONNY GOLDSMITH
Staff Writer
n a night meant to honor
four of the greatest sports
people in the history of
Detroit, one 35-and-a-half-
inch, 34-and-a-half-pound guest stole
the show.
The Stanley Cup.
"I got to go to the game when the
Red Wings won the cup, but that was
the only time I saw it," said 10-year-
old Michael Passman. "It was really
cool."
The human honorees at the 13th
annual induction dinner of the
Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
were broadcaster Al Ackerman, boxing
manager Jackie Kallen, tennis player
Aaron Krickstein and Reggie
McKenzie, a former pro football play-
er who received the Alvin Foon Award
for his community service to Detroit.
"It's nice to have this honor,"
•
Krickstein said. "It's great to be
inducted into anything, because it
makes you realize what you've done,
and other people realize what you've
done."
A native Detroiter, Krickstein was
also excited to have a picture taken
with his wife and the Stanley Cup.
"I didn't know if I'd ever have a
chance to see the cup," Krickstein
said.
The Nov. 3 event, held at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, drew
700 guests. It also turned into an
autograph show for most of the 170-
plus children at the event. The most
popular memorabilia to write on were
hats, autograph books, and a few Red
Wing jerseys.
"The purpose of this is really to get
kids involved with Jewish athletics,
and hope they can carry on this tradi-
tion," Hall of Fame Vice President
Nate Pollack said. "It's a great function
with a lot of celebrities, and the kids
love seeing them."
Of the non-inductees, Red Wings
coach Scotty Bowman was the most
recognizable, and the most sought-
after for a signature.
"I liked the auction the best," said
Michael Passman, who attended his
third induction dinner with his aunt
and uncle. "I got [via the fundraising
auction] an autographed jersey and
picture from (NHL star)Taul Kariya,
and a Michael Jordan autographed jer-
sey."
Other celebrities from Detroit ath-
letics were at the ceremony to see
friends enshrined and to support the
MJSHF.
"I've been coming to this event
since the beginning," said former
Detroit Piston guard Vinnie Johnson.
"I know people on the board, the
inductees, and it's a great event to be
at and support."
Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer
Alex Delvecchio is another former star
who's proud to support the Hall of
Fame. "My company (Alex Delvecchio
Enterprises) does the plaques for the
honorees," he said. "I've been associat-
ed with this since day one, and very
fortunate to do so."
Jackie Kallen, a boxing manager
and commissioner of the International
Female Boxing Association, was sur-
prised by the size of the event.
"I'm very awed by it all," she said.
"I didn't know how big it would be.
I'm trying to get around to see every-
one I know before I leave."
WDFN radio morning host
Damon Perry conducted the auction,
and Mike Stone, also of WDFN, and
WJR's Dan Dickerson were the mas-
ters of ceremonies for the event.
The money raised by the event will
go to the Hank - Greenberg Oncology
Fund at Sinai Hospital, academic
scholarships, and the Hall of Fame
Games for children and adults who
are developmentally disabled. 0
11/14
1997
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