The honorees include top athletes from Chicago's professional teams. They are chosen based on their contributions to their teams and the Chicago community. This year's honorees include Chris Duhon of the Bulls, Mark Bell of the Blackhawks, Chris Rolfe of the Fire and Muhsin Muhammad of the Bears.  Honorees from the White Sox and Cubs, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award, are to be announced. The event also features a silent auction and sweepstakes.

 David A. Carlquist, IBM Vice President Americas - Central Region, is the honorary chair of the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards. The March of Dimes appreciates IBM for also serving as a corporate sponsor of the event.

One of the highlights of the evening will be the presentation of the Inspirational Athlete of the Year award. John Anthony Valle of Calumet City is this year's honoree. Valle was born with a congenital limb deficiency, leaving him with no left arm below the elbow.  He has worn a prosthesis since he was six months old. However, Valle says that he is no different than any other 15 year-old boy. He has won several awards in all sports including karate, bowling, horseback riding, snow skiing, snow boarding, and swimming. In the summer of 2003, he participated in the United States World Youth Games in Amsterdam. His competition was bowling. For the last three years, John has served as one of 20 People to People Student Ambassadors. He has exhibited extreme independence through his travels to England, Scotland, Italy, France, Australia, and New Zealand. His many achievements show his passion for athletics.

Guests will have a chance to place bids on an exceptional variety of silent auction items featuring:

·        Autographed sports memorbilia

·        Tickets to Chicago professional sporting events

·        Trip packages

A reception at 5:00 PM will be followed by the dinner at 6:30 PM and awards ceremony at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $250 per person. Tables with preferred seating for 10 are $3,500 each. Regular tables of 10 are available for $2,500.

Proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes, a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth.

For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org. 

To purchase tickets to the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards, call (312) 596-4722 or visit marchofdimes.com/illinois.