Chicago Radio Legend Steve Dahl to Emcee

(Chicago – January 10, 2008) -- An impressive lineup of some of Chicago's best-known professional athletes will take center stage to receive honors at the 20th Annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards presented by Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning benefiting the March of Dimes. The dinner and live telecast, which will be emceed by Chicago radio legend and morning personality Steve Dahl of WJMK-FM 104.3 “Jack FM,” will be held on Monday, February 11, 2008 at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.
The honorees chosen are top athletes from Chicago's professional teams who have made considerable contributions to their teams and the Chicago community. This year's honorees include Jim Thome (White Sox), Ted Lilly (Cubs), Robbie Gould (Bears, award sponsored by Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning), Chad Barrett (Fire), Joe Smith (Bull) plus – a special tribute to the late William W. Wirtz will be accepted by new Blackhawks Chairman W. Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz (Blackhawks).  In addition, Andre Dawson, former Chicago Cubs All-Star and 1987 National League MVP, is the “Lifetime Achievement Award” recipient.  This year’s “Farmers Insurance Inspirational Athlete” award winner is Erika Jackson, a 17-year-old, three-sport Special Olympics athlete with Down syndrome from Westmont, Illinois, whose perseverance and determination landed her a spot on Hinsdale South High School’s junior varsity swim team. 
The 900-plus expected attendees for the 20th Annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards will also be able to participate in a silent auction featuring Chicago sports packages featuring game tickets, autographed player and team memorabilia, hotel/airlines packages, tickets to see The Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live, and much more.
Jack Durburg, Sr. Managing Director of CB Richard Ellis, is the honorary chair of the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards. William T. Barry, Senior Vice President of Draper & Kramer is the event’s Chairman and James J. Corno is the President of Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
The event will begin with a reception at 5:00 PM, followed by dinner at 6:30 PM.  The awards ceremony, which will be carried live on Comcast SportsNet, starts at 7:30 PM.  Tickets are $300 per person. Tables with preferred seating for 10 are $4,000 each. Regular tables of 10 are available for $3,000.  To purchase tickets to the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards, call Meredith Capshaw at (312) 596-4721 or visit csnsportsawards.com.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards has raised more than $6 million for the March of Dimes over the past two decades.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.  With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies.  For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or naceersano.org. 
Comcast SportsNet operates 10 sports networks that cover more than 2,400 live sporting events annually and deliver comprehensive sports news and analysis to 40 million cable and satellite homes.  Comcast SportsNet’s networks are: Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet West, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, SportsNet New York, FSN Bay Area, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, and CSS.  These networks provide live game coverage of 18 professional teams, as well as college, minor league and other sports.  For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.