Feb. 17, 2006

LOS ANGELES - The 15th Annual Sports Legends Awards, presented by The Paralysis Project of America, will honor Olympic gymnastics greats Bart Conner (USA) and Nadia Comaneci (Romania), pro football's Willie Davis (Green Bay Packers), Olympic swimming's Donna de Varona (USA), Olympic and professional volleyball's Karch Kiraly (USA) and horse racing's Alex Solis (Panama), in ceremonies to be held Saturday, Feb. 25, at The Omni Hotel in Los Angeles.

The festivities also feature a special tribute to former Utah Jazz great, all-time NBA assists leader and two-time Olympic gold medalist John Stockton, who will be presented the annual John R. Wooden Lifetime Achievement Award by Coach John R. Wooden. The awards ceremony, preceded by a silent auction of sports and entertainment memorabilia, will be hosted by television, film and stage actress, producer and author Florence Henderson, who co-stars in the upcoming sixth season of VH1's "The Surreal Life" (premiering March 19).

"We hoped our 15th year would be a special one and we are enormously grateful for the legendary sports superstars joining us in 2006, who are being so generous with their time to help bring the serious need for spinal cord research into the limelight," explains Catherine Lepone, executive director of The Paralysis Project of America. "Their involvement in the Sports Legends Awards is a shining personal tribute to everyone who has suffered a life-altering injury that impedes his ability to walk or compete in sports activities as he once did."

Marking the 15th sport to be honored in the Sports Legends Award's overall history, Kiraly becomes the honoree in volleyball. A member of three NCAA Championship teams while at UCLA, Kiraly led the USA Volleyball team to Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988, and partnered with Kent Steffes to win gold in 1996 Olympic beach volleyball competition, in addition to compiling the most (148) pro beach volleyball tournament victories in the history of the sport.

Additionally, Conner is the USA's most decorated male gymnast, becoming the first American to win medals at every level of competition including two Olympic gold medals (team and parallel bars) in 1984 in Los Angeles. Comaneci became the first gymnast in Olympic history to earn a perfect 10 (uneven bars) at the 1976 games in Montreal, and went on to win eight total medals, including five gold.

Davis was a standout defensive lineman for the Super Bowl I and II Champion Green Bay Packers, garnering five Pro Bowl selections en route to his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1981.

De Varona was a two-time Olympian (1960, 1964) who set 18 world records in a variety of swimming events and captured two gold medals (400 individual medley and 400-meter freestyle relay) at the Tokyo games in 1964, while later becoming the first female sports broadcaster on network television.

Solis won over 4,000 races as a jockey, including one jewel in the Triple Crown (1964 Preakness Stakes, Snow Chief) and three Breeders' Cup victories, while posting three Kentucky Derby runner-up finishes and six consecutive major riding titles at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar.

Honorees for the Sports Legends Awards are selected annually for their contributions to sports by the Paralysis Project of America's Business and Sports Councils. Headed by Don Newcombe and Bob Seagren, the Sports Council includes former Sports Legends Award winners Pepper Davis, Roy Firestone, Jim Hill, Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Rafer Johnson, Jim Knaub, Jack Kramer, Joe Morgan, Bill Sharman, Mark Spitz, Gary Stevens, Al Unser, Rogie Vachon, Jamaal Wilkes and John R. Wooden.

The event tips off with a reception and silent auction beginning at 5:45 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the awards presentation at 8 p.m. A traditional highlight of the festivities is the acclaimed multimedia program with archival film footage of each honoree, produced by John Leverence, Emmy Awards producer and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Vice President.

"The Sports Legends Awards dinner offers the public a unique opportunity to meet and mingle with some of the most revered sports greats in history and our 15th year celebration will include a few special surprises that fans are sure to enjoy," says Fred J. Clayton, President of The Paralysis Project of America Board of Directors. "Attendees also get the opportunity to bid on a wide collection of sports and entertainment memorabilia, which will aid us in raising important funds for spinal cord research."

A few of the Sports Legends silent auction memorabilia items will include: a once in a lifetime night out with Don Newcombe at Dodger Stadium, two-ticket package to the IRL's Indianapolis 500, and numerous group ticket and luxury box packages for the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Sparks and Avengers at Staples Center.

Also available to the highest bidder are numerous photos, prints and sporting goods items autographed by sports stars including the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants football teams, five-time Super Bowl champion Charles Haley, UCLA coaching legend John R. Wooden, Milwaukee Buck Andrew Bogut, Charlotte Bobcat Sean May, Philadelphia 76er coach Maurice Cheeks, Baltimore Oriole Miguel Tejada, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Chone Figgins, St. Louis Cardinal Larry Walker, Arizona Diamondback Jay Bell, Los Angeles King Pavol Demitra and Mattias Norstron, and racing legend Mario Andretti, along with a wide variety of weekend getaway vacations, and additional items to be announced.

The 15th Annual Sports Legends Awards is open to the public and complete ticket information can be obtained by contacting The Baker Group at (310) 216-4722. Online registration also is available with The Paralysis Project of America at www.paralysisproject.org. Net proceeds benefit The Paralysis Project of America, founded by the parents of young people paralyzed by spinal cord injury, along with others dedicated to finding the ultimate cure for paralysis.