Gala Tribute to Bill Russell - NBA Hall of Famer & America's 2010 Medal of Freedom Award Recipient
Bill Russell will be honored for his lifetime achievements during a gala tribute in Oakland, Ca., on March 24, 2011. It will be the first public recognition bestowed by his hometown on one of the nation's most revered and egendary sports figures.
Online, March 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - William F. "Bill" Russell will be honored for his lifetime achievements during a gala tribute in Oakland, Ca., on Thursday, March 24, 2011. It will be the first public recognition bestowed by his hometown on one of the nation's most revered and legendary sports figures. The tribute will start at 6 p.m. with a reception followed by dinner in the George P. Scotlan Memorial Convention Center, 550 10th Street, in Oakland.
The richness of Bill's life cannot be confined to the lines on the basketball court and the celebration where his legendary skills were honed will honor the completeness of the man. President Barack Obama acknowledged his lifetime achievements by awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, to Mr. Russell. The Medal of Freedom honors individuals "who have made meritorious contributions to the security or national interest of the United States, to world peace or to other significant endeavors that help change lives in the United States."
About Bill Russell
The expression that a person has too many honors to mention is an expression that truly defines the life of Bill Russell. Little did he know that the athletic prowess developed on the playgrounds and schoolyards of West Oakland would provide the platform for national and international acclaim. Two Consecutive NCAA Basketball Championships : 11 NBA Championships, 1956 US Olympic Gold Medalist and Team Captain, 5 time NBA MVP award 12 time NBA All Star, 1963 NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1968 Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year", 1980 "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Assoc. of America, 1972 No. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics, 1975 Member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006 Inducted as a founding member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, 2007 Honorary Degree from Harvard University, 2007 FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame: first Black Head Coach in a major U.S. professional sport, and Mr. Russell holds the record for the most championships won by any athlete in a major North American sports league. Mr. Russell was an agent for social change and human rights his entire life. In addition to marching with Dr. King, he joined with fellow athletes Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Willie Davis and others to establish the Black Economic Union to harness the power of Black athletes to advance Black economic development. He continues to be an aggressive advocate for civil rights and diversity.
To celebrate Mr. Russell's being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and his many other accomplishments, his friends, family and peers will host the Bill Russell Tribute, with support from Alameda County Youth Development Inc., the Joe Morgan Youth Foundation, the City of Oakland, and Alameda County. Funds raised by the Bill Russell Gala Tribute will assist DeFremery Park's George P. Scotlan Youth and Family Center, which is committed to reduce youth violence and sexual exploitation.
For information and tickets - V. Toni Adams at (510) 750-2526. For media relations - Y'Anad Burrell, Glass House Communications at yanad_burrell@glasshousepr.com or (510) 691-8687.