Seattle Sports Commission Readies For Big Night!

Seattle Sports Commission Executive Director Ralph Morton recently wrote the following column for the organization's monthly email blast. We thought it was worth sharing here on GoHuskies.com.

"The new year starts off with a bang on January 19, 2010. The Seattle Sports Commission has partnered with Seattle Children's Hospital for the 75th Annual Sports Star of the Year, presented by MTR Western.

As a continuation of the PI Sports Star of the Year Award Banquet, the event celebrates 75 years of recognizing the greatest talents in Washington sports.

The Sports Star of the Year, presented by MTR Western has been reborn as a high-energy awards show with special guests Steve Largent, Keith Jackson, Danielle Lawrie, Marv Harshman, Rosalynn Sumners, Lenny Wilkins, Paige MacKenzie, Lorenzo Romar, Ed Viesturs, Jamie Moyer and many more in attendance.

This is the biggest night out in sports, where our industry gets to shine, from fans to athletes to the front office. Those off the field will be honored with new award categories including "Media Figure of the Year", "Sport Citizen of the Year", and "Sports Executive of the Year".

The "FSN/DIRECTV Play of the Year" highlights the best plays or moments of 2009. "Safeco Insurance Presents the Top 10 Sports Stories of the Past 75 Years" will chronicle three quarters of a century of Washington's most touching, influential, and important narratives in sport. The "Seattle Children's Hospital Inspirational Youth Award" will be presented to a young athlete who has overcame great challenges to succeed and inspire our community.

The biggest awards of the evening will be naming of 2009 "Sports Stars of the Year" in the Professional, Male, and Female categories.

Online voting will end at 5:00 pm on Friday, January 15th at seattlesports.org/sportsstar. It's not too late to vote for your favorite, and not too late to get your ticket and see who will win."