A star-studded lineup will be honored at the 40th Annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner at Pier SixtyatChelsea Piers (23rd Street at West Side Highway) in New York City on Tuesday night, February 4, 2020 to benefit AHRC New York City Foundation, which assists children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
These are the honorees: New York Yankees standout second baseman Gleyber Torres; Thurman’s teammate and World Series Champion player and manager Lou Piniella; New York Mets hard-hitting infielder J.D. Davis; former Mets captain and ace relief pitcher John Franco; and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. Torres, Davis and Lieberman will be recipients of the Thurman Munson Award; Piniella will receive the Thurman “Champion” Award, and Franco will be presented with the Munson “Captain” Award.
Darcy Stacom, Chairman and Head NYC Capital Markets, CBRE, will receive the M. Anthony Fisher Humanitarian Award. The gala remembers the late great Yankees captain and catcher Thurman Munson and has raised more than $16 million for the AHRC NYC Foundation which supports programs that enable children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives.
Thurman’s widow Diana Munson will attend her 40th consecutive benefit, having been involved in the dinner since its inception. Michael Kay, YES Network’s Voice of the Yankees and ESPN NY 98.7 Radio host of the Michael Kay Show, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies.
The Thurman Munson Awards are presented annually for success and inspiration on the fields of play, and community spirit off the field. For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner call 212-249-6188 or email jennifer.kunin@emgbenefits.com. Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.ahrcnycfoundation.org/munson/.
AHRC NEW YORK CITY – CELEBRATING 70 YEARS OF REALIZING POTENTIAL! AHRC New York City is a family governed organization committed to finding ways for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build full lives as defined by each person and supported by dedicated families, staff, and community partners.
Each year, AHRC New York City touches the lives of over 15,000 individuals throughout the five boroughs. The organization that created the first schools, workshops, day treatment programs, and community residences continues to offer a wide range of programs, services, and supports tailored to meet specific needs.
In a breakout sophomore season, Torres powered 38 homeruns and knocked in 90 RBI with clutch-hitting that vaulted the Yankees to 103 victories and the American League East division crown. The native of Caracas, Venezuela is a two-time All-Star. On August 22, when Torres hit his 30th home run, he became the second Yankee to hit 30 or more home runs in a single season at age of 22 or younger, joining Joe DiMaggio who hit 46 home runs in 1937.
Torres has made his mark off the field, as well, as one of the most community-active athletes in New York sports. After being named the top prospect in all of baseball, Here is a list of some of Gleyber’s work in the community: · NY Public Schools – volunteered with children, helping Spanish-speaking students learn English.· At P.S. 55 – one of the poorest public schools in New York. Gleyber visited in the 2018 season and was so touched that in the offseason made a donation for each kid would to receive a Christmas gift, an event took place at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club·
He was the 2018 recipient of “The Boss Award, given to the Yankee player that gives of himself both on and off the field· At Make-A-Wish, he spent the day with Zac Schwartz, and later delivered on a home-run promise. Zac passed away last season after a fight with cancer· At the Viscardi Center, he visited with children and adults with disabilities·
Gleyber met with many children fighting different types of cancer
J.D. Davis emerged as a bona fide Major League hitter last season for the Mets following two seasons with the Houston Astros. The California native hit .307 with 22 home runs, 22 doubles and 57 RBI in 140 games for New York, and was a catalyst for the Mets second half turnaround. Davis batted .354 (73-206) with a 1.078 OPS at home this season, only two Mets have ever finished a season with a higher average at home (min. 200 PA): Cleon Jones (.379, 1969) and Keith Hernandez (.366, 1984)…
His 1.078 OPS at home is the highest in Mets history and was fourth in the majors (min. 200 PA). He hit .339 (65-192) over his final 59 games dating to July 20 with a .948 OPS and ranked fifth in the majors in batting average, seventh in the NL with a .609 slugging percentage and ninth in the NL with a .397 OBP during that span (min. 150 PA).
Davis made a memorable and impactful impression on and off the field in his first year with the Mets. Davis visited active service men and women on the USS New York during Fleet Week. He served as the Mets Junior Fire Marshall teaching young area students the importance of fire safety. He visited a Queens Fire House to have lunch with FDNY members near the anniversary of 9-11. He was an Elf at the Mets Holiday Party for area school children – handing out presents and taking photos with the kids.
During an 18-year Major League career which included a Rookie of the Year campaign for the Royals in 1969, an All-Star season, and 1,700 career hits, Piniella was a two-time World Series champion teammate of Munson in back to back seasons in 1977 and ’78. “Sweet Lou” continued that success as a manager with 1,835 managerial wins with the Yankees, Mariners, Reds, Devil Rays and Cubs.
He was selected Manager of the Year three times, and honors, and a World Series ring in Cincinnati in 1989. The Lou Piniella Celebrity Golf Classic is held annually in Tampa to assist the ministry of SCORE International, a full-service mission organization that has impacted lives around the world.
Brooklyn-born John Franco is one of baseball’s all-time great relief pitchers during a 22-year career including 15 seasons with the Mets including three years as team captain. His 1,119 career games is a National League record, and ranks fourth in the history of Major League baseball.
Franco’s 424 career saves rank fifth all-time (second upon his retirement), and remains the most by a left-hander. The St. John’s product was a four-time All-Star, three-time NL saves leader, and two-time Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award recipient. Franco is enshrined in the Mets Hall of Fame, the Staten Island Hall of Fame and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Franco has been an ardent supporter of the March of Dimes throughout the years. A Mets leader on and off the field, during his playing days he played Santa Claus for 15 straight years at Mets Christmas parties. Following the 9/11 attacks, John was one of the Mets that helped the city heal following the tragedy. Under his guidance, Mets players donated a day’s salary to Rusty Staub’s police charity, and as the son of a sanitation worker, he continues to assist Police and Firefighters causes whenever he can.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Brooklyn native Nancy Lieberman was a three-time All-American at Old Dominion from 1978-80. Regarded as one of the greatest figures in the history of American basketball, Lieberman became the youngest player in Olympic basketball history to win a Silver Medal at age 18 at the 1976 Summer games in Montreal. Nancy was the first two-time winner of the prestigious Wade Trophy as the national women’s Player of the Year in College basketball.
In 2009, she was named coach of the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League to become the first woman to coach a professional men’s team. In 2015, she was hired by the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach, becoming the second female assistant coach in NBA history. She was the Big3 Coach of the Year, leading Team Power to the Big3 Championship.Nancy Lieberman Charities was founded in 2009, funded by charitable donations, and committed to promoting and developing healthy lifestyles and educational opportunities for young girls and boys.
Its programs are dedicated to expanding and ensuring that educational and sports opportunities exist for economically disadvantaged youth, and include:· Nancy Lieberman Charities basketball camps and clinics have served as a classroom to teach basketball fundamentals, teamwork, structure, leadership, and life skills and health to propel the next generation of student-athletes to success on and off the court.
Nancy Lieberman Charities is proud to offer 200 scholarships each summer for children in need to attend these camps. · 86 Dream Courts™ have been built across the nation, providing a safe play place for kids. Each court serves approximately 100 youth per day, helping us improve the lives of over 3.7 million kids a year. ·
The distribution of 750 Basketballs to 25 Police Departments as part of its Kids & Cops Initiative. · Nancy Lieberman Charities is committed to positively impacting academic participation and school attendance and has awarded over 15,000 backpacks with school supplies to deserving students so that they have the necessities for school.
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