I'm really looking forward to the Dick Vitale Sports Night for the Sarasota (Fla.) Boys and Girls Club on April 24. Raising money to help the youngsters in my community means so much to me. In the first two Sports Night events, we have raised more than $250,000.

Each year we honor someone who has been a big contributor in the sports world and a vital force in the Sarasota community. Last year we honored tennis star Monica Seles, who is a Sarasota resident.

This year we are opening the Sarasota Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame. The first two inductees into the Hall of Fame will be Otto Graham, the former great quarterback of the Cleveland Browns who lives in the Sarasota area, and Joe Kinnan, who has coached the Manatee High School football team for the last 20 years and has developed players like Tyrone Williams, now with the Green Bay Packers, and Tommie Frazier, who led Nebraska to a national championship.

To raise money this year, we are having a raffle, selling 150 tickets at $1,000 per ticket. The raffle will offer a chance to win a $65,000 2001 red Mercedes 320CLK convertible.

Tickets to the event are available and can be purchased at $1,500 per table for 10 people. Simply call 941-366-3911 and ask for Mack Reed, executive director for the Boys and Girls Club, for ticket and raffle information and the opportunity to win the beautiful Mercedes convertible.