Sports Angels is dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives through sports by contributing to established grassroots organizations that are able to channel contributions to those who will benefit most.
Sports Angels is 100 percent volunteer-staffed. All net fund-raising proceeds are available for established charitable organizations which receive grants through an application process.
The non-profit 501(c)(3) organization was founded in 2005 by a group of sports marketing and service-related professionals.
Staffed entirely by volunteers, Sports Angels add no operating costs while raising funds that are donated to qualifying selected charities.
The organization’s board includes a balance of business executives and former athletes, all of whom have chosen Sports Angels as a vehicle to give back to the community. The board includes Ed Stack, former chairman of the board for the National Baseball Hall of Fame; Brooklyn Dodger great Ralph Branca; and former Dodger catcher and New York Mets coach Joe Pignatano.
The Sports Angels business office is located at 584 Broadway, Ste. 310, in New York City.
Chairman
Ed Stack is the retired president of The Clark Estates, Inc.(1956-2000) and retired chairman and president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (1977-2000).
Vice Chairman
Ralph Branca is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1944 through 1956, Branca played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1944–53, 1956), Detroit Tigers (1953–54), and New York Yankees (1954). He was also a member of the All Star team between 1947-1949. Branca now consults with Charter Oak Financial and Insurance Services, and is a member of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. He was also the former Chairman and President of the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT),
President
Joseph D. Salerno, a financial executive with over 40 years experience was CFO and Board member of Integro Inc., CFO of Marsh Inc., as well as Mercer Consulting Group. Joe is a founding member of Sports Angels Inc., and also a former Board member of MLB’s Baseball Assistance Team (BAT).
Vice President and Interim Treasureraand Interim Treasurer
Thomas Duffy is one of the main principal at Charter Oak Financial and Insurance Services. Over the last 15 years he has built a multi-billion dollar licensing, sponsorship and marketing business for the most recognizable sports franchise in the world, Major League Baseball Properties. In 2000 Thomas left baseball to build a world-class marketing business in the music industry. He was a former board member of BAT and is a founding member of Sports Angels, Inc.
Secretary
Geoff Belinfante, an original board member, Geoff Belinfante has been involved with Sports Angels from its inception. For over 35 years, Geoff has been producing sports programming for television networks such as NBC, CBS, ESPN, MSG and SNY.
Assistant Secretary
Bill Pearse, a founding member of Sports Angels. Bill is a communication professional who has handled public relations for Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol brand. Bill serves as vice president for the New York City public relations agency, Graubard Group.
Maja M. Arcyz, Esq. is an associate in Arnold & Porter LLP’s New York office. Maja practices in the area of federal income taxation, with an emphasis on international tax matters, providing advice to both domestic and foreign institutional and individual clients. In the not-for-profit sector, Maja provides assistance to public charities and private foundations on the federal tax regime applicable to their creation and operation.
Michael J. Conroy is one of the newest members of the Sports Angels Board. He has worked in health care for over thirty years. He has held various administrative positions in his career, including as a director of social work, case management, and patient advocacy. He has worked at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Brooklyn Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital. He is currently employed at Lenox Hill Hospital, where he has worked for the past 16 years.
Joseph Cozza is Catering Sales Leader, New York, for Marriott International
Dominic D’Adamo has held senior financial executive positions with EmblemHealth, Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. and Arthur Andersen & Co. He currently serves as the vice chair of the Board of Trustees of Nyack Hospital, a member of the New York - Presbyterian Healthcare System.
Kevin V. Fitzpatrick is a tax partner at PriceWaterhouse Coopers. Kevin is the Chapter Chair of the Westfield Mountainside Red Cross Chapter and serves on the Westfield United Way Fund Distribution Committee.
Jeffrey R. Graubard is the president of the Graubard Group, a New York-based public relations agency he founded in 1992. He is also on the executive board for Sports for Youth, a UJA-Foundation of New York initiative, providing grants for sports programs directly benefiting more than 8,000 children through UJA-Federation’s network of more than 100 health-and human-service agencies throughout the five boroughs, Westchester and Long Island and select projects overseas.
John M. Johansen is a founding partner of Agile Technologies, a technology consulting company focused on improving the businesses of global insurance organizations. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Nyack Hospital in Nyack, NY, serves on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Free Enterprise providing free market and entrepreneurship programs to high school students and serves on the President’s Council of The Valley Hospital Foundation in Ridgewood, NJ.
Mike Kostel produces sports related documentaries and films.
Mary Lanning is president of ML&G Associates, a regulatory consultant to investors, product innovators, and legal professionals in the international commercial insurance sector. A lifetime neighborhood services volunteer in New York City, Mary is a Board member of Sports Angels, chair of the New York City Clothing Bank for the Homeless, Secretary and Board Member of Boys Hope Girls Hope New York, a founding member of Morningside Retirement and Health Services in West Harlem, and chair of the Board of YES!Solutions, the first grant sponsor of Sports Angels.
Daniel R. Lavoie, Esq. is a partner at the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, LLP in New York, NY. Dan specializes in environmental law including due diligence, litigation and insurance-related matters for corporate clients. He is an active member and volunteer coach in youth sports with his nine-year old daughter in their hometown of Greenwich, CT.
Pete Micca is a Partner in Deloitte & Touche LLP, with close to 20 years of life science and healthcare industry experience. His clients have included Active Health Management, Allied Healthcare International, Bristol Myers Squibb, Comprehensive NeuroScience, Covance, Medco Health Solutions, Oxford Health Plans, United Health Group, and WebMD. Pete also serves on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Biotechnology and Life Science Coalition and is Chairman for the New York City Investment Fund—Life Science Committee. He is a frequent speaker and moderator on industry related topics.
Phil Mushnick is an award winning journalist who has written for many years for the NY Post on Sports and social related issues.
Joe Pignatano is the former catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, as well as a former coach for the New York Mets.
Dr. Rene Rodriguez-Sains is an ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeon and clinical assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine. Besides being on the Board of Sports Angels, he is active in the Inner City Scholarship Fund, The Police Foundation and is a volunteer with the NYC Medical Reserve Corps. He is a consultant to worldwide institutions on skin and eye cancers. He lectures extensively and volunteers his surgical expertise to help patients unable to afford medical care.
Gary Rudow is a twenty year veteran of the financial services industry. He was a senior managing director at Bear Stearns and he currently is a Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
1st Annual Sports Angels Inspiration Award to Rachel Robinson, widow of Jackie Robinson and founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Mrs. Robinson was honored in 2007 for her tireless commitment to promoting opportunity through education and developing the leaders of tomorrow through the Foundation’s innovative education and leadership development program. Proceeds from the celebration of the award benefited both the Foundation and helped re-establish the baseball program at P.S. 375, the Jackie Robinson School, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Sports Angels vice-president Ralph Branca presents the first annual Inspiration Award to Rachel Robinson for her support of her husband Jackie throughout his baseball career and all the work she has done to continue his legacy through the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
2nd Annual Sports Angels Inspiration Award to former New York Giant George Martin in 2008 for his Journey for 9/11. Martin’s walk across the country to helped raise awareness about the health problems of first responders to the 9/11 tragedy.
Your Donations at Work
On April 25, Sports Angels sponsored a clinic for young boys and girls enrolled in the LaPolla Little League in Peekskill New York. Thanks to a grant from Sports Angels, members of the Peekskill Tides, a semi-professional team in the Westchester/Rockland Wood Bat League, provided a day of expert instructions to young ballplayers eager to improve their skills.
Inner City Scholarship Foundation. Sports Angels is proud to have donated uniforms to teams in the newly formed Inner City Scholarship Foundation middle school basketball league.
Sports Angels Supports the Children's Miracle Network Busy Sports Angels Board Members took time out from a busy meeting to present a $10,000 check to Christopher Jones of the Children's Miracle Network of Westchester to support their efforts to bring a special brand of Baseball to a population of physically and emotionally handicapped children in Westchester County.
Sports Angels is proud to join with the Companions in Courage Foundation to support the construction of the latest “Lion’s Den” multimedia room in the children’s cancer ward at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. The room, which opened in September 2007, provides young patients access to the internet, video games and video conferencing. Congratulations to Pat LaFontaine and the entire CIC Foundation team on their latest accomplishment.
Pat Lafontaine thanks Sports Angels board vice chairman Ralph Branca for underwriting all the computer monitors in the Lions Den multi media room at Morgan Stanley childrens hospital.
Upcoming Events
September 20, 2010
Inspiration Award Dinner to honor
Bobby Valentine
at the
University Club
1 West 54th St.
New York, NY 10019
Sports Angels
29 East 19th St | 5th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Ph. 212-966-9000
Fax. 212-966-2092
2009 Sports Angels.
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