Metro
AROUND TOWN
Straight Shooters
Anti-Defamation League honors Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons.
Scott Kaufman of Huntington
Woods is flanked by Jon
Aaron and Ann Newman,
both of Bloomfield Hills
T
he National Basketball Association's award for sports-
manship, ethical behavior and integrity bears his
name, so it's no surprise that NBA Hall of Famer and
Detroit Pistons President Joe Dumars scores big with the Anti-
Defamation League. The human rights organization, dedicated to
fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, lauded Dumars
and the Detroit Pistons during the Michigan Region's second
annual ADL Headliners Gala June 30 at the Townsend Hotel in
Birmingham.
"The Pistons do a wonderful job with community outreach;
they give a lot of money to schools, mentor young children, visit
students in hospitals, and they have a literacy program:' said
ADL Regional Director Betsy Kellman of Huntington Woods.
"We're very proud of them as an organization and as people"
The evening included a WP party, strolling dinner, martini bar, and live and silent
Marianne Pesick and Jo Anne Nosan, both of West
Bloomfield
A18
July 10 • 2008
auctions. Proceeds benefit the ADL's educational programs. Dumars, a six-time All-Star,
who played his entire 14-year career with the Pistons, personally accepted the honor and
got a standing ovation from the crowd of about 400 people.
"He spoke eloquently about how he grew up in the South and was always taught to
respect everybody even though that wasn't always the way he was treated:' Kellman said.
"He also talked about why he recently went back to school [earning a bachelor's degree
in business management from McNeese State University in Louisiana] because he want-
ed to be a role model for his children and the players."
The theme of this year's event was "Respect, It's the Way to Play" Nationally, the ADL
and the NBA have teamed up as part of an initiative to spread their messages of respect,
fair play and mutual understanding across the country. Mary and Jonathan Aaron and
Karen Davidson, all of Bloomfield Hills, were honorary gala co-chairs.
Spotted in the crowd were Enid and Gary Goodman and Julie Marx, all of
Bloomfield Hills; Emily Eisenberg of Birmingham; and Carla Schwartz of West
Bloomfield. ❑
Mark Berke of Farmington Hills, Charlie Sanders of
Rochester Hills and Michael Serling of Orchard Lake
Joe Dumars with Joey and Sharone Bigelman
of Birmingham