sports CELEB ATE SP LNG W1111 F MIMIC A; WN BEETS M Welcome, Tony! //I • 011, •1/ Alexander Zonjic & Friends with special guests Serieux and Motor City Horns Steve Stein Contributing Writer T ony La Russa will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Before that honor is bestowed on the 33-year manager and three-time World Series champ with Oakland and St. Louis, he'll receive the prestigious Hank Greenberg Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th annual Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf Invitational. The invitational will be held June 9 at Franklin Hills Country Club in Farmington Hills. Steve Greenberg, Hank Greenberg's son, will present the annual award named for his father, the former Detroit Tigers star. The award honors Hall of Famers whose integrity and dedication to base- ball mirrors that of Hank Greenberg. The Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation presents the invitational. It's a major fundraiser for the nonprofit orga- nization, which has raised more than $1 million for cancer research and treatment since the group's inception in 1984. Proceeds from this year's invitational will benefit the Lawrence and Idell Weisberg Cancer Treatment Center of Farmington Hills (part of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute) and children's charities. This will be Stuart Raider's first invi- tational as president of the foundation's board. "We have a fun organization, but when the rubber meets the road what's most important is we're raising money to fight cancer; he said. "Our dream is to get rid of this disease. In the meantime, we'll do what we can to battle it:' Hank Greenberg died of cancer in 1986. Two other awards will be presented June 9. The Dick Schaap Award for Media Excellence will go to Pulitzer Prize win- ner Ira Berkow, who , 1 was a sports columnist and features writer for the New York Times for 26 years. Former Detroiter Jonny 'merman will receive the Barry Ira Berkow Bremen Memorial Inspiration Award, named for "The Great Imposter:' The award honors individuals who have overcome huge challenges. Adam Bremen, Barry Bremen's son, will present the award Jonny to 'merman, a cancer !merman survivor and founder of 'merman Angels, a not-for-profit orga- (Motown Temptation Tribute) Smooth Jazz and Motown Classics Tony La Russa nization that connects a cancer patient or caregiver with someone who has fought and survived the same cancer. The invitational includes golf, live and silent auctions, food, beverages, the awards presentations and a sports panel featuring the honorees and emcee Dan Miller, sports director at Fox 2. Go to www.michiganjewishsports.org for information on golf and sponsor- ships, or contact David Blatt, the foun- dation's executive director. He can be reached at (248) 592-9323 or dlbatt@michiganjewishsports.org . Nominees Needed Nominations are being accepted by the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation for the 2014 Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame inductees and Pillars of Excellence award winners, Jewish News Male and Female High School Athletes of the Year and Bill Hertz Memorial Scholarships. Application forms and criteria can be found on the foundatioris website, www. michiganjewishsports.org . Jewish graduating high school seniors are eligible for the athlete of the year awards and scholarships. The athlete of the year awards are based solely on ath- letic achievement for a prep career. The scholarships, one for a male and one for a female, are based on financial need, academic achievement and ath- letic participation. They can be used toward tuition during the freshman year. Students can nominate themselves or be nominated by an adult, teacher, coach or parent. The foundatioris selection committee also can make nominations. Here are the application deadlines: March 31 for the Pillars of Excellence; April 30 for the Hall of Fame; and July 7 for the athlete of the year awards and scholarships. Athletes of the year and scholarship recipients will be notified by Aug. 15. The Hall of Fame induction cer- emony and presentation of the Pillars of Excellence and athletes of the year awards and scholarships will be in late October. For further information on applica- tions, contact foundation Executive Director David Blatt at (248) 592-9323 or dblatt@michiganjewishsports.org. He's 54 Michigan Senior Olympics gold medal- winning weightlifter Jeff Ellis is 54 years old. His age was incorrect in the headline of last week's column. ❑ Sunday March 23, 2014 2:00pm This FREE concert is a part of the "Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital's Healing Arts Program" am; rad . For more information call 248-325-1000 c zonjic.com HEALTH SYSTEM 6777 W Maple Rd, West Bloomfield, Ml 48322 HENRY FORD Henry Ford provides at no cost qualified interpreters and other aids and services for the deaf and hard of hearing. To request assistance, call (248) 325-3890 or email dk(Whfhs.ora. If possible, please notify us three days in advance of the event. DETROIT Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus presents Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. Conducted by Diana Hochella Directed by Michael Yashinsky Performed in English First performed by children in a Nazi concentration camp in 1942, this fairytale tells the story of siblings Little Joe and Annette who join forces with a fearless sparrow, keen cat and wise dog to outwit the evil organ grinder Brundibar. Performed by the acclaimed Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus, under the direction of Suzanne Mallare Acton. DE ROR JEWISH W JN SPECIAL APPEARANCE! Holocaust survivor Ela Weissberger, who played the leading role of "Cat" in "Brundibar", shares the story of how art and music inspired her hope for survival. For more info visit MOTCC.org TICKETS AND PRE-PAID PARKING: 313.237.SING or michiganopera.org Media Partner AM • • MT WOIII(S Nallenel Melowinent br 111•Arls This actvity is supported by the MICHIGAN COUNCIL FOR ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS and the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS Community Education and Outreach Parber Lit and Alex Erdeljan, Production Sponsor Worthington Family Foundation, Education Material & Student Ticket Sponsor 1898590 Send news to sports@thejewishnews.com . March 13 • 2014 63