The success of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, started by former college baseball player PETE FRATES, inspired MLB to launch a new "MLB Fights ALS" campaign. Most of the money raised by the Ice Bucket Challenge was "allocated to research for treatments and finding a cure for ALS." Those who "donate $50 or more to the ALS Association from Aug. 1-5 will be entered to win a pair of tickets" to a '17 World Series game. The money raised will "go toward combating the high costs that come with living with ALS" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/28).
FREEZER BURN: Astros broadcaster TODD KALAS during Tuesday's game against the Phillies said that his father, late former Phillies announcer HARRY KALAS, "passed up a chance to be in the original 'ROCKY' film because he had a previous commitment for a team promotional event." Kalas said that his father was "asked to portray the sportscaster who interviewed" Rocky as he "trained while punching a slab of meat, but the elder Kalas couldn't make it to the set on the day the scene was filmed" (HOUSTONCHRONICLE.com, 7/27).
NAMES: The ninth annual BEYOND SPORT AWARDS was held on Wednesday at the One World Trade Centre in N.Y. Among the 13 winners was Unilever, which took home Best Corporate Campaign or Initiative in Sport for Good for its Connected by the City Brazil campaign. The NBA Kings won the Sport for Climate Action Award with their new Golden 1 Center (Beyond Sport Awards)....BILLY WALTERS, the Las Vegas gambler linked to golfer PHIL MICKELSON, was “sentenced Thursday to five years in prison by a judge who said the businessman collected tens of millions of dollars illegally in the stock market.” Walters was also fined $10M (AP, 7/27)....A long line of memorabilia collectors greeted Baseball HOFer WADE BOGGS at the Albany Int'l Airport on Thursday. Boggs arrived in Albany on the way to Cooperstown for this weekend's induction ceremony via a flight from Charlotte and signed a few pieces before grabbing his luggage and leaving with others (THE DAILY).
