Billy Cunningham, John Harbaugh, John Giannini, Scott Palmer to attend

PHILADELPHIA – Local celebrities from the Philadelphia sports world will join Magee Rehabilitation Hospital to support area athletes who participate in wheelchair sports at Magee’s Fifth Annual Night of Champions. The event, scheduled for Friday, May 13, from 7 - 10 p.m., will be held at the Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall on South Columbus Blvd.

Billy Cunningham will receive the 2005 Magee Champion in the Community Award. The award is presented annually to a community leader who supports and advocates for individuals with disabilities. Cunningham is a member of Magee’s Board of Trustees and an honorary coach with the Magee Sixers Spokesmen wheelchair basketball team.

In addition to Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles special teams coach John Harbaugh, LaSalle University men’s basketball coach Dr. John Giannini, WPVI-6 TV anchor Scott Palmer, WIP radio host and NBC 10 sports reporter Howard Eskin, and former Penn State and Eastern High School football player Adam Taliaferro are among the celebrities scheduled to attend.

The event benefits many athletes from across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware who participate in wheelchair sports at Magee.

The Night of Champions also includes live and silent auctions featuring a number of autographed sports memorabilia items. Tickets cost $125, with many group sponsorship packages available. Also, an hour before the event, Chaddsford Winery will host a wine tasting VIP reception to benefit Magee. For more information, including sponsorship opportunities, please call (215) 587-3090. Sponsors of the Night of Champions include IBEW Local No. 98 and GlaxoSmithKline.

The region’s top sponsor of sports and leisure activities for individuals with disabilities, Magee offers wheelchair sports programs in basketball, tennis, rugby, softball and martial arts. Magee athletes have participated in competitions throughout the world, including the Paralympics, held every four years at the site of the summer Olympics.

The hospital hosts annual basketball, tennis and rugby tournaments that attract athletes from across the United States and Canada. These activities promote greater independence, raise self-esteem and improve the quality of life for Magee’s current and former patients, as well as others in the Philadelphia region.