Events

2011 Home Plate Heroes Night

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

2011 Home Plate Recap

Our Home Plate Auction had a new venue and a simplified format in 2011, but the art and the generosity was as abundant as always. Our ticketed event at Dickey-Stephens Park was replaced with an online auction and free reception at the Thea Foundation.

Over 60 creative home plates were displayed at Thea in the Argenta Arts District of North Little Rock for two weeks in October, including the Third Friday Argenta Art Walk. A live auction and reception was held at Thea on Thursday, October 27.

Phil Elson, Voice of the Arkansas Travelers, served as our auctioneer and baseball history teacher and gave us fascinating stories behind the stories of some of the baseball-themed art. SInce our reception was the same night as Game Six of the World Series we cut things a little short. (Not coincidentally, our 2012 auction will be held in September.)

Home Plates not purchased online were sold in a continued silent auction format, and the six listed below were offered in a live auction. Photos of the home plates can be found in the HOME PLATE GALLERY link on our home page.

“Safe@Home” by Bill Bruce
“Let’s Talk Sports” by Jim Jolly
“Cliff Lee Autographed Pinstripes” by Margaret Landfair
“Ray Winder Field” by Laura Raborn
“Honus Wagner” by Jennifer Wilson

Posters of a painting of Ray Winder Field by Laura Brainard Raborn were given as gifts for donations to the Jim Elder Good Sport Fund. Signed posters for $75 donation or unsigned ones for $50 donation.

Thank you very much to all our artists for contributing their hard work and talent. and to our generous friends who opened up their hearts and their wallets to the Jim Elder Good Sport Fund.

All proceeds from the auction go to scholarships and to our Home Plate Heroes, a dozen local nonprofits who do incredible work every day to provide Arkansas students with mentoring, education and opportunities for healthy activities. The full list of our Home Plate Heroes can be found on our home page.

KTHV Craig O'Neill interview with Susan Elder
2011 Home Plate Auction

http://northlittlerock.todaysthv.com/news/news/77102-thv-your-town-north-little-rock-home-plate-heroes

2010 Home Plate Heroes Night

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Preview of Home Plate Heroes 2010 with Alyson Courtney KTHV

2010 Home Plate Recap

Our Third and Final Home Plate Heroes event was truly a grand slam. After a stormy morning, the skies parted and we had our biggest crowd ever, resulting in our most successful fundraising night ever! And, from all accounts, the level of fun was a record, too.

Our Heroes brought kids from their programs as well as displays and activities. We served ballpark food and drink, and auctioned artistic home plates and one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia. The Travelers were out of town, but we played a recording of Jim Elder calling a Travs game from the past. Even all four of our 2010 scholarship recipients joined us.

Although we won’t have our big event at Dickey Stephens next year, the online auction of artistic home plates and the display at THEA will be held as part of ArtWeek.

Thank you to everyone who made our final event such a hit: Petit Jean Meats, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Golden Eagle, Coca-Cola Bottling, Mountain Valley Water, Red Door Gallery, Craig O’Neill, Greg Fisher and the Arkansas Travelers.

And thank you to every person who sent a donation, came out to the park, bid on a plate online, bought a lottery ticket, or just rooted for us.

We are very proud of all our Heroes, and we are certain that Jim would be honored by everything you’ve helped us to do to keep his generous spirit alive for Arkansas students.

Harry King on the 2010 "Good Sport" Fundraiser

LITTLE ROCK — The annual update on the Jim Elder Good Sport Fund promoted the organization’s final fund-raiser with a teaser about the items available at auction.

There will be, the daughter of the late sportscaster wrote, “special World Series items … “ and other treasures.”

Between the scrumptious salad and a second slice of crispy pizza from a neighborhood establishment, members of the Good Sport Fund board got the first look at the World Series items. Susan Elder retrieved them and held them up with pride. On hangers, both were visible through the clear of a cleaning bag:

—The intertwined N and Y over the left breast, World Series patch on the right sleeve, blue and gold patch on the left commemorating year one in a new stadium, and those classic pinstripes. On the back, No. 34 and the signature of A.J. Burnett.

—On the other World Series uniform top, the stripes are red, and a blue five-point star dots the “i” in Phillies. Also No. 34, signed by Cliff Lee.

Two elite pitchers who grew up about 30 miles apart, they faced each other in the fifth game of the World Series, a first for Arkies.

Availability of the jerseys came about because Lee and Burnett are involved in the Miracle League, one of the many charities supported by the Good Sport Fund.

Also on the auction block at the May 20 Home Plate Heroes at Dickey-Stephens Park is a basketball to be coveted by Razorback fans. Pat Isbell, friends with Susan since the seventh grade, donated it. She also has a letter from Rawlings saying the ball is a “1994 NCAA Final Four authentic game basketball.”

There is more. Through Isbell’s diligence, the ball includes the signatures of former coach Nolan Richardson, Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, and Alex Dillard.

A long-time basketball fan, she used to avoid the 10 p.m. news so the delayed telecast of a UA game against a Southwest Conference opponent would be fresh. Later, she would drive to Fayetteville and back, often alone, for an ESPN game with Richardson in charge.

Unsigned, the ball was purchased at a charity auction by a former boyfriend. At the time, she worked for a company that was a sponsor of Richardson’s TV show. “My boss was attending some function with Nolan and I sent my ball and Nolan agreed to sign,” she said.

A year or two later, she read that many of the Razorbacks from the NCAA championship team would be signing autographs at a car dealership on Interstate 30 near Benton. A 40-year-old woman with her arms full of stuff for the players to sign, she stood in line for hours with “a bunch of young boys and their daddies for the most part …”

“Once I got to the players, I was not a popular woman with those behind me,” she said. “They weren’t just signing a simple autographed photo — I had stuff — flipping through the pages to get certain things signed!”

Isbell offered the ball to Susan in 2008, but the fund-raiser at Dickey-Stephens was the first of its kind and nobody was sure about response to the auction. Isbell offered again last year. Susan said no thanks and promised to ask when the time was right.

Since 1998, about $800,000 has been donated to charities in her father’s name. For eight years, there was a golf tournament to benefit the Good Sport Fund. The event in May is the third and final Home Plate Heroes night, a perfect time to take advantage of her friend’s generous offer.

The hope, Susan said, is to “go out with a grand slam.”

With the help of two major-league pitchers and a good friend, the pieces are in place.

——
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com

2009 Home Plate Heroes Night

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

PLATES SELECTED FOR LIVE AUCTION
The Sultan of Swat by William Bruce
The Fifth Beatle by Jim Jolly
First Pitch (self-portrait as a terrified catcher) by Kevin Kresse
Batter Up by Sarah Mattingly

2009 Home Plate Recap

The Second Annual Home Plate Heroes night was held on May 14, 2009, at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. The Travelers weren’t at home, but the concourse was filled with interactive displays of our "Heroes."

While a recording of Jim Elder calling a long-ago Travs game in the background, our guests dined on ballpark fare. They also got a chance to take chip shots from behind home plate, have their pitching speed measured by radar guns, and participate in other kinds of activities. Many of the heroes gave away small prizes for answering questions correctly.

Over 50 painted home plates were displayed, and many of those were in silent and live auctions. The remainder of the plates were sold in an online auction ending the day before the event.

Ryder Cup print up for auction

Posted on 06 May 2009

By Harry King

LITTLE ROCK — Temperatures below forty or scores above bogey, nothing could discourage Jim Elder on the golf course. He pressed on, almost giddy with unfounded optimism about the next shot. A man who witnessed and appreciated that attitude did the late sportscaster proud in his pursuit of something special to be auctioned May 14 at Dickey-Stephens Park.

Greg Fisher, who listened to Elder’s play-by-play of Arkansas Traveler games in 1960s and ‘70s, met the man during the 1979 football season when Fisher was working for the UA sports information office. Ten years later, Fisher moved to North Little Rock, joined North Hills Country Club, and filled out a threesome that teed it up on short notice.

The manager of a big department store up East, Fisher has wangled some pretty nifty media relations assignments through the years, including the Cotton Bowl, the jockeys’ room at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, and The Masters. The latter led to an invite to help out with the 2008 Ryder Cup, where he followed a group each morning and each afternoon, compiling notes and quotes.

Busy with that assignment, he didn’t visit the souvenir tent until the morning of the final day. He picked up a few items for friends and family, then stopped to look at a commemorative poster. A gentleman introduced himself as the artist, they talked for a while, and Steve Lotus agreed to sign the print purchased by Fisher. With Elder’s Good Sport Fund auction in mind, Fisher decided to pursue signatures from Ryder Cup captains Nick Faldo and Paul Azinger.

In the press center, co-workers who had worked closely with the captains told Fisher that Faldo and Azinger had not been very receptive to requests for autographs. Undeterred, Fisher thought his best opportunity would be when the captains and team members came to the post-event news conference. The European captain was up first and security was tight, so Fisher opted to try for Faldo as he left the press center. Sheepishly, he said, “Hey, Nick. Could you do me a favor and sign this poster?” Faldo paused and gave Fisher a curious look. For a moment, the autograph seeker thought he was going to be chastised, but Faldo said, “Where do I know you from?” Fisher explained that Lance Barrow, executive director at CBS at The Masters, had introduced them in Augusta. “Based on his reaction, it didn’t seem to jog his memory, but he signed the poster and quickly made his way to his golf cart and left,”Fisher said.

Pursuing the signature of the first winning U.S. captain this decade, Fisher stationed himself outside the press room door, print and Sharpie at ready. A Ryder Cup official who escorted Azinger to the news conference gave him a stern look and told him that Azinger would not sign. Disappointed, Fisher turned his back to the press room and was visiting with a friend as the U.S. team departed. He was explaining that he had only been able to get one of the captains to sign when Azinger walked by and heard the conversation. “Did Faldo sign that for you?” he asked. “Yes,” Fisher said. Azinger signed the poster and left, leaving other autograph seekers behind.

Already framed, “37th Ryder Cup” might be one of a kind. The auction bidding will be live, a week from Thursday.

—- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.

Ryder Cup print up for auction

Posted on 06 May 2009

By Harry King

Already framed, “37th Ryder Cup” might be one of a kind. The auction bidding will be live, a week from Thursday.

—- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.

2008 Home Plate Heroes Night

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

2008 Home Plate Recap

Last Game at Ray Winder Field

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 00:00:00 +0000

September 3, 2006

Home Plate Heroes 2014

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Online Auction

April 17 - May 7
View Online Auction Here!

Reception/Live Auction

Thursday, May 8, 2014 from 6:30 - 8:30pm
Thea Foundation
401 N. Main Street
North Little Rock, Arkansas

For more information, call 501-766-6444

2005 Golf Tournament

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Played on April 25, 2005
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

MAJOR FUND SUPPORT IN 2005:

AFFILIATED FOODS SOUTHWEST
BANK OF AMERICA
TAYLOR CARR
CARLA & LYNN DAVIS
ENDESHA FOUNDATION
FOY B. GADBERRY
RICHARD GILDER
RICKEY MEDLOCK
THE RACHOFSKY FOUNDATION
TED SNIDER
MARY STEENBURGEN & TED DANSON
STEPHENS, INC.
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

HOLE SPONSORS 2005:

ARKANSAS AL JANSSEN
ARKANSAS NEWS BUREAU
AVERY FOSTER BOWMAN
BOB CARVER’S CARS AND TRUCKS
PAUL & VICKIE EELLS/ HARRY & ELLEN KING
BRADY GADBERRY
JIM, JAY & ADAM GADBERRY
MEDICAL PARK ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC
kREED + COMPANY
THE MITCHELL LAW FIRM
RETINA ASSOCIATES
FRANK E. SHAW
SPORTSTOP
THE TEAK FURNITURE STORE
THE WILCOX GROUP | ARCHITECTS

PRIZES COURTESY OF:

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS
BANK OF AMERICA
STEVE BARNETT
CANON GRILL
DIAMANTE
PAUL EELLS
CONNIE FAILS
GREYSTONE- CYPRESS CREEK
GREYSTONE - MOUNTAIN SPRINGS
HOLIDAY INN - AIRPORT
LONGHILLS GOLF COURSE
MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL
STEVE MORLEY
MORRISON’S
OAKLAWN
THE OYSTER BAR
DAVID PALMER
PARK HILL EXXON
THE TEAK FURNITURE STORE
NORTH HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
MARY STEENBURGEN
SUFFICIENT GROUNDS

2005 DONORS:

SAM BLAIR
MR. & MRS. JAKE COMMER
DR. PHILLIP DEER
BETTY DONOVAN
JOHN FOGLEMAN
CLIFF FURCRON
PEARL GALLOWAY
MATTIE GARNER
HARRY KING, in memory of VERA WADE
EMMETT LANG
STEVE MORLEY
LOUISE PACE
DAVID PALMER
TOM PARSONS
CAROLYN POOL
CAREN SIEHL
ULTIMA TRAVEL
JOHN UNGER
CARROLL WALLS
MERLE ZITTERICH, in memory of LOIS ZITTERICH

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS:

COCA COLA BOTTLING OF LITTLE ROCK
COOK JEEP
CORKY’S
CRANFORD JOHNSON ROBINSON WOODS
GOLDEN EAGLE OF ARKANSAS

2004 Golf Tournament

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Played on April 19, 2004
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

MAJOR FUND SUPPORT IN 2004:

AFFILIATED FOODS SOUTHWEST
LYNN & CARLA DAVIS
ENDESHA FOUNDATION
FOY GADBERRY
GILDER FOUNDATION
RICKEY MEDLOCK
HOWARD RACHOFSKY FOUNDATION
RBI- JOHN YOUNG in honor of BILL VALENTINE
TED SNIDER
MARY STEENBURGEN & TED DANSON
STEPHENS, INC.
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

HOLE SPONSORS 2004:

ARKANSAS AL
ARKANSAS NEWS BUREAU
BOB CARVER
FASTSIGNS
BRADY GADBERRY
JIM, JAY & ADAM GADBERRY
KIM & ED HARPOLE
KEN HATFIELD
MEDICAL PARK ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS MEDICINE
THE MITCHELL LAW FIRM
BERT PARKE
PETIT JEAN MEATS
KREED + COMPANY
RETINA ASSOCIATES
MARY SHOCK
SPORTSTOP
THE TEAK FURNITURE STORE
THE WILCOX GROUP, ARCHITECTS

PRIZES COURTESY OF:

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS
DIAMANTE
BILL DICKINSON
JAY FOX
GREYSTONE GOLF COURSES
HOLIDAY INN - AIRPORT
PETEY KING
GINGER BROWN LEMM
LONGHILLS GOLF COURSE
NORTH HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
RICKEY MEDLOCK
STEPHENS, INC.
STEVE MORLEY
TEAK FURNITURE STORE
WAYNE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
MARY STEENBURGEN
SUFFICIENT GROUNDS

2004 DONORS:

JOE BAKER
SAM BLAIR
MR. & MRS. JAKE COMMER
DR. PHILLIP DEER
KAY ELLINGTON
CLIFF FURCRON
PEARL GALLOWAY
EMMET LANG
LOUISE PACE
CAROLYN POOL
FELTON RHODES
ULTIMA TRAVEL
JOHN UNGER
CARROLL WALLS
MERLE ZITTERICH in memory of LOIS ZITTERICH

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS:

COCA COLA BOTTLING OF LITTLE ROCK
CRANFORD JOHNSON ROBINSON WOODS
FASTSIGNS
GOLDEN EAGLE OF ARKANSAS
KRISPY KREME
RUSSELL CHEVROLET
SHORTY SMALL’S

2003 Golf Tournament

Mon, 21 Apr 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Played on April 21, 2003
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

MAJOR FUND SUPPORT IN 2003:

AFFILIATED FOODS SOUTHWEST
LYNN & CARLA DAVIS
ENDESHA FOUNDATION
FOY GADBERRY
GILDER FOUNDATION
HOWARD RACHOFSKY FOUNDATION
TED & JANE SNIDER
MARY STEENBURGEN & TED DANSON
STEPHENS, INC.

HOLE SPONSORS 2003:

ARKANSAS AL JANSSEN
BOB CARVER
KAY ELLINGTON
BRADY GADBERRY
JIM, JAY & ADAM GADBERRY
KEN & SANDY HATFIELD
HAWGS ILLUSTRATED
kREED & COMPANY
MITCHELL LAW FIRM
MIKE MURPHY
PETIT JEAN MEATS
RETINA ASSOCIATES
MARY SHOCK
THE TEAK FURNITURE STORE
THE WILCOX GROUP

PRIZES COURTESY OF:

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS
CANON GRILL
CONNIE FAILS
DIAMANTE
JAY FOX
GATOR’S BARGE & GRILL
GOLF USA
GREYSTONE- CYPRESS CREEK
GREYSTONE- MOUNTAIN SPRING
LONGHILLS GOLF COURSE
NORTH HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
SHOTGUN DAN’S
WAYNE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
SPORTSTOP
STEVE MORLEY
STONELINKS
SUFFICIENT GROUNDS
THE TEAK FURNITURE STORE

2003 DONORS:

Bruce Beal
Steve Becker
Sam Blair - in memory of Herbert Garner
Mr and Mrs Jake Commer
Dr. Phillip Deer
Betty Donovan
Doug Dorey
David & Anita Gadberry - in memory of Herbert Garner
Foy Gadberry
Martha Gadberry - in memory of Herbert Garner
Jim & Charlotte Gadberry - in memory of Herbert Garner
Pearl Galloway
Angela Glass
Emmett Lang
Pat Lynch
Andrew Meadors
Louise Pace
Bert Parke
Tom Parsons
Robert Puddicombe
Cathy Rodgers
Sonny Sanders
Frank Shaw - in memory of Estella Shaw
Caren Siehl
Elizabeth Sherman
Becky & Bill Sullivan
John Unger
Nick Veikos
Carroll Walls
Wendy Westerburg
Charlotte Whitten
Merle Zitterich

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS:

COCA COA BOTTLING OF LITTLE ROCK
CRANFORD JOHNSON ROBINSON WOODS
FASTSIGNS
GOLDEN EAGLE OF ARKANSAS
RUSSELL CHEVROLET
SHORTY SMALL’S
WILD JOE KING

2002 Golf Tournament

Mon, 22 Apr 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Played on April 22, 2002
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

MAJOR FUND SUPPORT IN 2002:

Endesha Foundation
Stephens, Inc.
The Rachofsky Foundation
Ted & Jane Snider
Mary Steenburgen & Ted Danson
689 Foundation
Affiliated Foods

HOLE SPONSORS 2002:

Arkansas AL
Bob Carver
Lynn & Carla Davis
Dempsey Film Group
Brady Gadberry
Jim, Jay & Adam Gadberry
Ken Hatfield
Kreed & Co.
Mitchell Law Firm
Mike Murphy
Class of 1971 - NLR Northeast
Petit Jean Meats
Retina Associates
Jackie Sousa
The Wilcox Group

PRIZES COURTESY OF:

Arkansas Travelers
Chenal Country Club
Connie Fails
Crews & Associates
Diamante
Foxwood Golf Club
Golf USA
Greyston - Cypress Creek
Greyston - Mountain Springs
Tracey Harris
Jay Fox
Long Hills Golf Course
North Hills Country Club
John Satterfield Hypnosis Clinic
Sportstop
Mary Steenburgen & Ten Danson
Steve Morley
www.TeakFurnitureStore.com

2002 DONORS:

Bruce Beal
Steve Becker
Mike and Amy Bone
Mr. and Mrs. Jake Commer
Dr. Phillip Deer
Mike Donald
Ellery and Barbara Gay
Angela Glass
Emmett Lang
Steve Morley
Jimmy Moses
Louise Pace
Bert Parke
Tom Parsons
Robert Puddicombe
Caren Siehl
Darlene Tosh
Ultima Travel
Nick Veikos
Carroll Walls
Wendy Westerburg
Merle Zitterich in memory of Lois Zitterich

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS:

Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Little Rock
Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods
FastSigns
Golden Eagle of Arkansas
Russell Chevrolet
Shorty Smalls
SportStop

2012 Online Home Plate Auction

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

2012 Online Home Plate Auction will be from September 18-26. There will be a live auction and final sale of home plates on September 27 at THEA Foundation in North Little Rock from 6-8 pm. PLease click here to view the homeplates up for auction.

Events

2011 Home Plate Heroes Night

2011 Home Plate Recap

KTHV Craig O'Neill interview with Susan Elder2011 Home Plate Auction

2010 Home Plate Heroes Night

2010 Home Plate Recap

Harry King on the 2010 "Good Sport" Fundraiser

2009 Home Plate Heroes Night

2009 Home Plate Recap

Ryder Cup print up for auction

2008 Home Plate Heroes Night

2008 Home Plate Recap

Last Game at Ray Winder Field

September 3, 2006

Home Plate Heroes 2014

Online Auction

Reception/Live Auction

2005 Golf Tournament

Played on April 25, 2005Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

2004 Golf Tournament

Played on April 19, 2004Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

2003 Golf Tournament

Played on April 21, 2003Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

2002 Golf Tournament

Played on April 22, 2002Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

2012 Online Home Plate Auction

KTHV Craig O'Neill interview with Susan Elder
2011 Home Plate Auction

Played on April 25, 2005
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

Played on April 19, 2004
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

Played on April 21, 2003
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club

Played on April 22, 2002
Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club