by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
Football will be the focus at 10th annual benefit for the Sulzbacher Center.
An array of gridiron-related items will be up for auction and that stands to reason: the co-chairs are Jaguars co-owners Wayne and Delores Weaver and the team’s only Ring of Honor player, Tony Boselli and his wife, Angi.
It’s Sept. 18 at the Florida Theatre and prizes include a trip to the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa.
“Online bidding will begin by next week,” said Heather Surface, owner of Surface Communications, the public relations firm hired by the Downtown homeless shelter to help plan what’s officially called “Transformations 2008.” “It may start sooner if we finalize the packages. We’re still adding to the list.”
Also among the auction listings are tickets to the Los Angeles or New York City premiere of the movie “Old Dogs” starring John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Robin Williams. The “Dream Jaguars Weekend” has 50-yard-line tickets to watch the Jaguars take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The Super Bowl package includes game tickets along with tickets to the Host Committee Party and the NFL Experience,” said Surface.
The football theme starts off the evening with a tailgate party starting at 6 p.m. and members of the Jacksonville Jaguars signing autographs. The benefit itself will be gearing towards having a family atmosphere, even ending around 9 p.m. since it’s Thursday, a school night.
“There will be about eight people there sharing their stories about how the Sulzbacher Center helped them,” said Surface. “The idea is that their stories will give a good life lesson to young adults.”
Last year’s stories included a man named Dwight Buckingham, who went from being a Sulzbacher resident to now owning House of Transition, a nonprofit thrift store on Beach Boulevard.
Bidding for the auction items ends 10 minutes after the tributes.
As far as the items donated for the auction, Surface said they were made available through various contacts. For example, the tickets to the “Old Dogs” premiere were donated by Ossi, Najem & Rosario, P.A., the law firm which represents husband-and-wife Travolta and Preston.
“We’re expecting to raise over $300,000 this year,” said Surface.
Actually, they expect to make well over that. According to Sulzbacher Center President and CEO Audrey Moran, they hope to raise over $450,000 in gross profits, which would make this the most successful in the center’s decade-long history. But it’s much-needed to keep up with the costs of Sulzbacher.
“The funds from Transformations will be contributed toward general operating expenses and will be used to continue providing comprehensive programs and services to local men, women and children in need,” said Moran.
The general operations include providing 1,100 meals per day. The Sulzbacher Center also helps find their visitors jobs and medical care.
“Currently, more than 70 children live at the Sulzbacher Center while their parents work to rebuild their lives,” said Surface.
Tickets are $50 and more information is available at www.transformations2008.org.
356-2466
Photo courtesy of The Sulzbacher Center