Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda posing with Los Angeles Dodgers representative Donna Carter.*

Orlando Cepeda Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Positive Image Awards Highlights

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - When this year’s Positive Image Awards began, we knew the evening would be loaded with great sports collectibles and many special guests. Still, even those of us who had helped arrange the event had no idea just how large our special guest list would grow. With eight Positive Image Awards, BAD doubled last year’s total including a brand new honor for Youth Leadership.

Emmy and Golden Mike Award winners Joe Buttitta and Gil Stratton were our hosts for the evening festivities headlined by Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda who received BAD’s Ernie Banks Positive Image Lifetime Achievement Award. Ten other former Major Leaguers were in attendance as well, including BAD’s newest friends, Del Unser and Rudy Law.

Action in Government award winners included Los Angeles City Council Member Alex Padilla and Simi Valley Mayor Bill Davis. Local and state government was also well-represented with seven other officials and candidates including Eric Bauman from the Office of Governor Gray Davis, whose words from the Governor included the novel idea that Jim Dantona’s never-ending energy for BAD be somehow channeled into the California electric grid, thereby alleviating California’s current energy crunch.

Action in Community awards took note of the civic and philanthropic contributions of American Teletech and Brogin Company Founder Nate Brogin, Walter Lantz Foundation Trustees Edward Landry and Peggy Jackson, as well Los Angeles Dodgers Senior Vice President of Communications Derrick Hall. Hall was sadly stricken with the flu that evening but accepting on his behalf was former Laker star, now charismatic Dodger V.P., Tommy Hawkins. 6-time Dodger Gold Glove first baseman Wes Parker also represented the Dodger organization.

BAD’s newest award for Youth Leadership went to 20-year old USC student Jeff Skobin who has spearheaded an anti-drug crusade through his online companies Phantom LLC and Schoolgossip.com. But the BAD award was not all the proud young Trojan would receive. Arriving in a timely fashion to join Jeff onstage was Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks to present him with a special resolution for his courageous efforts.

We have wasted no time in planning next year’s event, which is slated for Thursday, January 31, 2002. The Roof Garden of the Sheraton Universal will once again play host to this gala event.

*In our Spring 2001 newsletter we erroneously identified a picture of Orlando Cepeda with his daughter-in-law. The lady pictured is actually Donna Carter who represented the Los Angeles Dodgers.