My first Sneakerball (last year) was spent working the event, so it was fun to go back and enjoy.
This annual event brings together Washington area businessmen, charitable organizations and sports stars for a night of fundraising for the Greater Washington Sports Alliance charities and to celebrate the accomplishments of some chosen sports greats into the Hall of Champions. This year’s honorees: Adrian Dantley, Brig Owens, and Brian Mitchell. Alex Ovechkin was also named Capital One’s “DC Sportsman of the Year.”
This year’s line-up was similar to Sneakerball IV. Team mascots roamed the cocktail reception (thanks to Andrew Lang for snapping me with the Kastles tennis ball!), athletes from several of the area’s major teams mixed and mingled, and everyone
wanted their picture taken with a Redskin Cheerleader. I was sad to see that DC United’s inflatable soccer kick didn’t make it back this year, but was happy with the addition of Lindsay Czarniak to complement Steve Buckhantz‘s emceeing.
Thanks to Gary Clark for allowing me to accompany him. That’s him (above) being presented on stage at the beginning of the evening.
After all of the accolades and athletic honors, we gathered again for some gladhanding and gawking. At left, my new friend (two events together in two nights… he was at the FW Launch Monday night as well!) Brooks Laich of the Capitals, Joe Robert and Tiffany Carter.
The official afterparty may have been at Indebleu… but we jetsetted off to Fly.
