June 11, 2007

The UCLA Athletic Department would like to thank all of our fans and supporters who participated in the second annual True Blue Celebration last Saturday night at the John Wooden Center.

"As I said on Saturday night, our attitude is one of gratitude to all of our fans who support the efforts of our coaches and student-athletes throughout the year," said Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. "We want to thank everyone who supported the event, from the people who donated the silent and live auction items, to the current and former student-athletes and coaches who were in attendance, the food and beverage vendors in attendance and, most importantly, to all of our supporters who came to campus on Saturday for what proved to be an enjoyable evening for everyone."

Approximately 650 people, including Bruin fans, coaches, staff and former and current student-athletes attended the event, which raised over $200,000 for the Wooden Athletic Fund, which benefits student-athletes in all sports.

The evening started at 5:00 p.m., when the Wooden Center doors opened for the silent auction. Fans had until 7:00 p.m. to bid on close to 700 different items. There were autographed items from some of the top athletes and coaches in UCLA history, including John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Troy Aikman, Don MacLean, Karch Kiraly, Gail Goodrich and Troy Glaus, just to name a few.

Other items included Bruin Fantasy Days, where someone could spend the day with UCLA's various athletic teams. There were various vacation packages, restaurant packages, entertainment packages and all types of autographed uniforms from UCLA players and other local teams. There were also several former and current players in attendance during the silent auction, including 1977 NCAA men's basketball player of the year Marques Johnson, 1960 Olympic gold medal winner Rafer Johnson, three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Troy Aikman and the father-son football combination of George and Danny Farmer pouring wine during the silent auction, just to name a few.

At 7:00 p.m., dinner was served. Several outstanding restaurants provided fans with "A Taste of UCLA," as fans could choose from barbeque to pasta to Asian food and everything in between.

At the conclusion of the dinner, the live auction program started. UCLA football radio announcers Chris Roberts and Matt Stevens served as the emcees. The program began with Roberts and Stevens introducing the current coaches and student-athletes in attendance. Virtually every sport was represented, and the coaches and players sat at various assigned tables with Bruin fans.

Roberts then introduced Guerrero, who welcomed everyone and then presented a UCLA award to Troy Aikman, recognizing his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Peter Vidmar, UCLA NCAA and Olympic gold medalist, entertained the fans with a speech about how his practices at UCLA prepared him for the 1984 Olympics in Pauley Pavilion.

Then it was time for the live auction. There were several highlights during this part of the program. The bidding for five nights at a $6,500,000 home in the Solstice Collection reached $16,000, with the winner outbidding Troy Aikman. A 1967 NCAA Championship banner, autographed by the members of that team, including coach John Wooden, sold for $15,000. Golf for two with Troy Aikman raised $5,000.

Bidding for some of the packages, such as the "Fighting Irish Encounter" was so spirited that a second package was created so both bidders could win the package - for $9,000. Football travel packages to the Arizona and Stanford games were sold for $4,000 after a second package was created for each game. Ben Howland agreed to a second dinner package and two bidders won the package at $5,000 while two dinners with Karl Dorrell each sold for $4,500.

Overall, the night was a great one for Bruin fans, coaches, student-athletes and staff. The coaches mingled and enjoyed their discussions with the fans and thanked them for their participation.

Once again, all of those involved with the True Blue Celebration want to extend their thanks to the fans who attended and made the event so memorable.

Remember True Blue Celebration III will take place next year at about the same time. You should plan early to join us for a great night of fun and excitement.

True Blue Celebration auction room