Billy Cunningham, Scott Palmer served as honorary chairs

PHILADELPHIA – A number of local sports figures joined Magee Rehabilitation Hospital to raise an event-record $150,000 for the hospital’s wheelchair sports programs at its Fourth Annual Night of Champions recently.

Magee Rehabilitation Hospital is the Philadelphia region’s top sponsor of wheelchair sports programs. The hospital has teamed with a number of local professional sports franchises to form the Magee Sixers Spokesmen wheelchair basketball team, the Magee Eagles wheelchair rugby team, the Magee Phillies wheelchair softball team and the Magee Freedoms wheelchair tennis team. More than 40 athletes annually participate in Magee’s wheelchair sports programs.

“The Night of Champions was extremely successful thanks to the generosity of our sponsors,” says Magee’s Director of Major Gifts, Night of Champions chair and member of the Magee Freedoms wheelchair tennis team Mark Chilutti. “The proceeds will allow Magee to continue providing wheelchair sports programs to anyone in the community with a disability.”

Honorary co-chairs Scott Palmer, WPVI-TV 6 anchor and Night of Champions event emcee, and Billy Cunningham, basketball Hall of Famer and a member of Magee’s board of trustees, joined a host of other local sports figures at the event. Other attendees included Philadelphia Eagles coaches John Harbaugh and Brad Childress; former Philadelphia Flyers Bernie Parent and Dave “The Hammer” Schultz; University of Pennsylvania head basketball coach Fran Dunphy; LaSalle University head basketball coach Billy Hahn; St. Joseph’s University assistant basketball coach Mark Bass; Temple University assistant football coach and former Penn State University Heisman Award candidate Blair Thomas; Penn State’s Adam Taliaferro; Phillies public address announcer Dan Baker; KYW TV-3 sports director Beasley Reece; and SportsRadio 610 WIP host and NBC-10 sports reporter Howard Eskin.

Also, IBEW Local 98 business manager John J. Dougherty received the Champion in the Community Award in recognition of his support for wheelchair sports, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and individuals with disabilities.