The Comets will donate $1.25M "to establish and endow
KIM'S PLACE," a facility for terminally ill children and
their families. The facility, named for late Comets G KIM
PERROT, will be built at the Univ. of TX M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center "at an estimated" cost of $750,000 (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 7/29)....Cubs OF SAMMY SOSA is among the honorees
for the 14th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards. The ceremony
airs September 9 on NBC (USA TODAY, 7/31)....In N.Y., Greg
Winter wrote that associates of former 49ers QB STEVE YOUNG
said that a recent announcement -- in which Young was
helping to form FirstLight Venture Capital, a technology
investment firm -- "came prematurely, before plans for the
new company were final." Talks "concerning the new venture
continued" last week (N.Y. TIMES, 7/30)....In Chicago, Carol
Slezak wrote on CHRIS AIRE, a jeweler "to many NBA stars"
such as Lakers C SHAQUILLE O'NEAL and Cavs F SHAWN KEMP, as
well as the owner of L.A.-based 2 AWESOME INTERNATIONAL.
Slezak: "Lately people have been wondering what these NBA
kids are thinking, wearing hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of jewelry. It's ostentatious. Not to mention tacky.
Who needs a $50,000 watch, anyway? And who needs a diamond-
stud earring the size of a peach pit?" Aire: "It's easy to
judge other people when you have no idea how they live. But
if you love something, it's no one else's business" (CHICAGO
SUN-TIMES, 7/30)....CART driver CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI
sustained a concussion in Friday's practice before the
Target Grand Prix in IL, causing him to miss filming scenes
for SYLVESTER STALLONE's movie "DRIVEN" (AP, 7/30)....In
Detroit, Becky Yerak wrote on GENERAL SPORTS &
ENTERTAINMENT's production of GENERAL SPORTS ACADEMY, as 35
individuals paid $995 each to attend the "five-day primer
course for sports management hopefuls" held at Oakland Univ.
in MI. Yerak, on the participants: "Some were still in
school. Many were recent graduates. Other wanted career
changes. ... More than a third were women. All loved sports
and hoped the experience would help them get their foot in a
team's door" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/30).....The BRETT FAVRE
STEAKHOUSE in Milwaukee closed yesterday and will reopen in
January as Joey Buona's Pizzeria Grille after remodelling.
Favre will remain a partner, and his steakhouse in Green Bay
will remain open (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 7/31).
