Orlando Pride player Toni Pressley (r) was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this yearGETTY IMAGES
Some of the NWSL's "biggest stars are auctioning off items to raise funds for breast cancer awareness in honor" of Orlando Pride D TONI PRESSLEY, who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. The Pride also announced they will host a Breast Cancer Awareness match on Oct. 12. The "idea for the online auction was spearheaded" by Chicago Red Stars G ALYSSA NAEHER and D CASEY SHORT. The auction "went live during halftime" of Red Stars-Pride yesterday and will run until Oct. 10. It will "feature items from throughout the league, including a pair of Nike cleats signed" by Red Stars F SAM KERR, an ALEX MORGAN USWNT jersey and a ball "signed by the North Carolina Courage team" (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 9/11).
DORIAN AFTERMATH: Rockets G ERIC GORDON is "raising money to give back" to the Bahamas in the wake of the impact from Hurricane Dorian. Gordon "started an online fundraiser by donating $50,000" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/12)....Former FSU football player MYRON ROLLE, a third-year neurosurgery resident, is "expected to see the destruction" caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas "firsthand as a team member of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health Office of Global Disaster Response" (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 9/12).
GOOD STUFF: Bears DT AKIEM HICKS helped host more than 100 children and their families "for a day of games" at SOS Children's Villages Illinois' "Tailgate Tuesday" event in Auburn Park (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/11)....Rockets broadcaster CALVIN MURPHY and several Rockets players yesterday visited "all 94 Houston-area fire and police stations" as part of the team's annual Sept. 11 show of thanks (HOUSTON CHRONCILE, 9/11).
ON THE BIG SCREEN: Capitals national anthem singer CALEB GREEN and his a capella group "Voices of Service" were "voted through to the finals" of NBC's "AMERICA'S GOT TALENT" after a "stunning rendition of OneRepublic's 'Choke'" (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 9/11)....Former NHLer TOM LAIDLAW will be on the newest season of "SURVIVOR," called "ISLAND OF IDOLS," that will premiere on Sept. 25 (USA TODAY, 9/12)....JOHN MCENROE will narrate Netflix' new coming-of-age comedy series, "NEVER HAVE I EVER," from MINDY KALING (DEADLINE.com, 9/11).
NEW VENTURES: Former NBAer TONY PARKER has started working for NorthRock Partners, overseeing a "team of 20 in the sports, artists and entertainment division" and guiding athletes in "managing their money" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 9/12)....Former BTIG analysts RICHARD GREENFIELD, WALTER PIECYK, BRANDON ROSS, JOSEPH GALONE and MARK KELLEY have opened their new tech, media and telecom firm LightShed Partners (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 9/10).
NAMES: Journalist ANDREA KREMER was named the Association for Women in Sports Media's '20 recipient of the Mary Garber Pioneer Award. Kremer will be recognized during AWSM's annual convention set for July 30-Aug. 2 at the Fairmont Dallas (AWSM)....Athletes that have taken part in the latest cycle of Harvard Business School's Crossover Into Business program include: figure skater ASHLEY WAGNER; tennis players CAROLINE WOZNIACKI, BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS, and ANDREA PETKOVIC; former NFLer WILL BEATTY; Knicks F REGGIE BULLOCK; Magic F AMILE JEFFERSON; NBA free agent JOSE CALDERON; and former NBAer DAVID LEE (BOSTON HERALD, 9/12)....Nets G KYRIE IRVING sat in the front row for Coach's N.Y. Fashion Week show on Tuesday (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 9/11)....MICHAEL PHELPS and his wife, NICOLE JOHNSON, have welcomed their third child, MAVERICK NICHOLAS, to the world (N.Y. POST, 9/12).
