Thousands Raised at 12th Annual Ottawa Celebrity Sports Dinner

November 19, 2009 - The 12th Annual Ottawa Celebrity Sports Dinner (OCSD) set a new standard for community fundraising in Ottawa as it welcomed two-time Super Bowl Champion John Elway to the Hampton Inn & Conference Centre on November 18.

Elway, a former Super Bowl MVP and one of the most storied quarterbacks in all of football, described his time with the NFL's Denver Broncos and the importance of perseverance during an entertaining 20-minute speech and conversation following the sold-out dinner.

"When people ask me 'Who hit the hardest?' I always say, 'The ground always hit the hardest'," Elway said to laughter from the hundreds in attendance.

Questions from dinner attendees touched on Elway's retirement, rivalries with other teams, and the NFL rulebook.

Other activities to help raise funds for Ottawa's Soloway JCC and other charities included a live and silent auction that included NHL tickets, luxurious sports trip getaways, state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, and several autographed NFL jerseys. According to the  Ottawa Citizen, the approximately 700 people in attendance raised more than $175,000 for the Soloway JCC.

Other sports celebrities in attendance included TSN's Rod Black, who performed MC duties for the evening, BOB FM's Stuntman Stu, and record-setting CFL quarterback Russ Jackson.

"It was a major-league success," said Steve Klein, Marketing Breakthroughs CEO and Sports Dinner Executive Producer. "It's a top-tier event in Ottawa, and we raised lots of money for worthy causes."

The evening continued a proud tradition of charity and community service by the Celebrity Sports Dinner, and with next year's event already being planned, organizers plan to set a new bar once again in 2010.

Above - Stuntman Stu of Ottawa's BOB-FM acted as auctioneer, raising thousands of dollars.

Below - Legendary NFL quarterback John Elway answers questions from the audience.

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