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Flutie's Celebrity Shootout draws crowds, raises funds

Date: 3/20/2012

March 21, 2012

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD — Three years ago when Doug Flutie and his foundation supporting autism research and outreach came to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for a new fund-raising effort in Western Massachusetts, he wasn't sure exactly how well it would be received.

This year, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation's Celebrity Shootout was the place to be.

According to the former Heisman Trophy winner and retired NFL quarterback, and Balise Auto Sales owner Mike Balise, this year's event drew more than double the amount of sponsorship dollars, in addition to the $100 entry fee and additional fund-raising from teams taking part in the free throw contest.

"Each year it's grown," Flutie said. "The first year was a little shaky, the second year was very successful and this year it looks like we'll probably double what we did last year. It's really grown and a lot of that I attribute to Mike [Balise] and his hard work.

"Mike has been fantastic for us jumping on as our main sponsor for the event and he has helped gain other sponsorships as well," he continued.

The event brought out local celebrities, such as Travis Best, the Springfield native and Central High School graduate who spent 12 seasons in the NBA; Olympic bronze medalist wrestler, Springfield resident and Western New England University graduate Rodney "The Pit Bull" Smith; Massachusetts native, former University of Connecticut women's basketball and WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist Kara Wolters; New England Patriots defensive tackle Myron Pryor; and Steve Nagle of Rock 102's Bax and O'Brien morning show.

"It's been exciting because you see the look on some people's face when they meet some of the celebrities that come," Flutie said. "They're very appreciative of the fact that we're out here and we're appreciative of the support, so it's been a really great relationship."

In addition to the shooting contest and a disc jockey, this year's event also featured other entertainment, including a "halftime show" showcasing the skills of Jack "Black Jack" Ryan, who has performed his basketball tricks around the nation during college and professional basketball halftime shows.

"The number one aspect of every event we run is I want it to be fun. I don't want people looking at their watch for three hours at a chicken dinner waiting to get out of here while listening to speeches," Flutie said. "This is very interactive and it seems like people enjoy themselves."

Flutie expressed how impressed he was with the success of the signature Western Massachusetts event, adding that it has opened new doors for the foundation.

"For us it's great because it opens us up to new sponsorship dollars and a new community of people getting involved," he said.

For Smith, the outpouring of support for the Flutie Foundation is not a surprise.

"This community, if you test our mettle, we're always going to come through," he said. "We've been tested and we've been through a lot of adversity, but when the call comes and there's something on the line such as autism, I think we've done very well in responding."

Best echoed those sentiments, saying the strong community ties and the willingness of the community to give back, even in a time when the area is rebuilding from a tornado and still facing economic uncertainty, is one of the major reasons Springfield holds a special place in his heart. He also said he was encouraged by the number of young people who have become involved and that the event can provide valuable lessons for area youth.

"It speaks a lot about this area. In all of my travels around the world, I've always thought Springfield was a very special place," Best said. "I think these events are about trying to teach younger people that they have to lend a hand and help out. There are a lot of people less fortunate than us that have family members with disorders like autism and you have to reach out and help when you can. We've been put in a place where we can come out and help and get people together."

Balise, who has a 17-year-old daughter with autism, said the dollars raised often go to people who desperately need them.

"Kids with autism can be an unbelievable amount of work and if you have the means to invest in them, their long-term outcome will be far better," he said. "If you don't have money and you're working and you're shuffling a kid between daycare and other programs, it's going to be impossible to make a lot of progress. This charity supports the families through getting them programs and getting them help."

In addition to valuable dollars, which go to research and grants to support families with children with autism, events like the Celebrity Shootout raise much-needed awareness for a growing problem, Flutie said.

"I think number one thing our foundation has done over the years, because of my high profile, celebrity, whatever you want to call it, is created an awareness for autism when there weren't other foundations around. That's something I take a lot of pride in," he said, adding that the number of children diagnosed with autism have risen greatly in the past decade.

"I think the public realizes there's an issue now. The numbers are astronomical. When we started our foundation, maybe one in every 12,000 kids was being diagnosed. As of last year, it was one in 120 [children], one in every 80 boys. It has really escalated in this decade and has become a major problem," Flutie continued.

Smith said he felt that recently the public has gained a much greater understanding of the disorder and that understanding is the first step before taking action.

"When you have something like autism that has been so widely misunderstood, I think bringing attention to the masses with events like this is hugely important," he said. "Once it's understood, I think we can make more breakthroughs."

Flutie also pointed out a new challenge facing families and communities with rising numbers of autistic children.

"The other thing is now all those children with all those numbers are becoming adults, so you need adult assisted living housing, ways to help them feel like they're part of the community and things of that nature," he said.

For more information on the foundation, log onto www.dougflutiejrfoundation.org.



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