69TH ANNUAL SALUTE TO THE CHAMPIONS
February 23rd, 2015 – 5:00p.m. – Town & Country Resort & Convention Center
Ticket information, please contact Terri Rochon (TerriR@sdhoc.com // 619-699-2338)
*All 2014 San Diego Hall of Champions Stars of the Month get two complimentary tickets!
2015 Breitbard Hall of Fame Inductees
TONY CLARK
Even when he was at Valhalla and Christian High Schools, Clark was making a name for himself, setting section records in baseball and basketball. After a 15-year major league career, Clark was named the executive director for the Major League Baseball Players Association.
CHRIS CHAMBLISS
A multi-sport star at Oceanside High, Chambliss (this year’s veteran selection) went on a 17-year major league baseball career during which time he compiled a .279 batting average with 185 home runs and 972 RBI. He won World Series titles with the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978 and four more times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000) as a coach.
LADAINIAN TOMLINSON
Known simply as LT, Tomlinson rushed for 13,684 yards, scored 145 touchdowns and 972 points with all but two years of his 11-year career coming with the Chargers. Tomlinson was the face of the Chargers, especially when he scored 31 touchdowns in a magical 2006 season when the Chargers went 14-2.
Community Champion – Duane J. Roth
Duane was heavily involved in numerous organizations as the CEO of Connect, an organization that promotes technology entrepreneurship in San Diego. He made it a point to be involved in many fund-raising events and projects and was participating in a bicycle ride organized by the Challenged Athletes Foundation when he was involved in an accident that took his life at age 63.
Lifetime Achievement – Bruce Binkowski
There are very few people who get a nickname that really describes them well, but Bruce Binkowski’s nickname—The Voice—is a perfect fit. You name the pro sport, and Bruce has been the announcer. Add in San Diego State, USD and even the former University of San Diego High, and you know the voice you hear is Bruce’s. Oh, by the way, the background voice of the Salute to the Champions? Bruce, of course.
Ernest H. Wright Sr. Humanitarian Award – The Century Club
When the Century Club became involved in the PGA TOUR stop at Torrey Pines in 1961, the event had little recognition outside the area and even less glamour. All that changed when the group arranged for singer/actor Andy Williams to become the face of the event in 1967 and it has boomed ever since. The Century Club—named after the original members who paid $100 each to join—is still the backbone of the now Farmers Insurance Open.
Challenged Athlete – Steven Peace
When Steven Peace suffered a stroke at age 32, he could easily have felt sorry for himself. Instead, he turned to one of his favorite activities, riding a bicycle. With a few modifications and help from organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project, Peace became a competitive racer. Not just any racer, but one who qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games where he captured 5th and 7th in his two events and a goal to become stronger and faster heading into the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in Brazil.
ABOUT THE SALUTE TO THE CHAMPIONS
The Breitbard Hall of Fame, established in 1953 by Robert Breitbard, honors athletes who have excelled athletically in San Diego or who are native San Diegans and have achieved athletic fame elsewhere. Since 1953, the Breitbard Hall of Fame has inducted 140 members representing 20 sports. The Hall of Fame’s charter member is Harold “Brick” Muller, a standout for the “Wonder Boy” Cal Berkeley football teams of 1920, 1921 & 1922.
New members are inducted each February at the Salute to the Champions dinner. The Breitbard Hall of Fame originally stemmed from the Breitbard Athletic Foundation, founded in 1946. After initially awarding only Stars of the Month, and then Stars of the Year, the Foundation decided upon a career achievement award, and the Breitbard Hall of Fame was born. To be inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame is the ultimate accolade for a local athlete.