
Cougars Winter Banquet Next Friday
January 23, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release
GENEVA, IL - The Kane County Cougars' 2009 Winter Banquet and Silent Auction, sponsored by Provena Mercy Medical Center, takes place next Friday, January 30, at Pipers Banquets in Aurora, located at the corner of Church and Butterfield Roads. Table spots for the Cougars' annual charity event are still available, and can be reserved by calling the Cougars at (630) 232-8811 or visiting www.kccougars.com.
Former Cougars radio announcers and current Major League broadcasters Dave Wills and Scott Franzke will co-headline and each address the crowd, along with 2008 Cougars Team MVP Larry Cobb and new Kane County skipper and former Major Leaguer, Steve Scarsone.
A full itinerary for the evening is planned for banquet attendees looking to warm up from the Chicago cold and count down the days until the Cougars' home opener on Monday, April 13. The evening's festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and the start of the silent auction and raffle in which all proceeds benefit Ozzie's Outreach, the Cougars' charitable foundation. Valuable silent auction items donated by sports teams and area businesses continue to arrive at the Cougars' front office and will be available for silent auction bid or awarded as raffle prizes. A sampling of items include:
- Chicago Blackhawks autographed hockey stick including signatures from Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith
- Chicago Bulls autographed pennant including signatures from Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng
- Matt Forte autographed football
- Kurt Warner autographed football
- Guest radio announcer at a Cougars game in 2009
- Honorary bat kid at a Cougars game in 2009
- Adrian Gonzalez autographed bat
- 4 VIP Immediate Entry tickets at The World's Shedd Aquarium, Chicago
- A Friday or Saturday overnight stay at the Hotel Baker, St. Charles
- Ryne Sandberg autographed jersey
Dinner begins at 7 p.m. with the auction concluding when the speakers program kicks off at 8 p.m. Wills, an Oak Lawn native, was the Cougars' inaugural broadcaster in 1991 and advanced to the big league level, spending time behind the microphone with the White Sox before settling into his current job as broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays. Franzke, who now works on the Phillies' radio team, honed his craft describing the Cougars on radio from 1999-2001 and broadcast the Cougars' Midwest League Championship team in 2001. Both Wills and Franzke called the action in last fall's World Series, which pitted Wills' Rays against Franzke's Phillies.
Fans will hear from Scarsone, who becomes the 12th Cougars manager in franchise history and enjoyed a seven-year playing career in the Major Leagues. The Cougars also welcome back Cobb, an infielder/outfielder who was named a Midwest League mid and post-season All-Star in 2008.
Midwest League Stories from January 23, 2009
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