Robitaille. Winfield. Rambis. Get ready for a ‘Sports Spectacular’ auction
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Jessica Penner and Zuzana Moravcikova breezed into the Beverly Hills Hotel, hockey sticks in hand. One stick belonged to Jessica’s husband, Dustin Penner of the Los Angeles Kings; the other to his teammate and Zuzana’s fiancé, Michal Handzus.
Stacia Robitaille brought a Hall of Fame jersey from her husband, hockey legend Luc Robitaille. “There’s only one left now,” she said, as she turned in the soon-to-be-rare jersey.
A steady stream of women followed, bearing sports tickets, autographed equipment and other memorabilia from the Lakers, Dodgers, Clippers, Kings, Galaxy and Chargers.
Why so many goodies? They were the price of admission to Wednesday’s Sports Spectacular Women’s Luncheon, highlighted by a Madison runway show, with fashions described by Emily Goldstein, owner of the Southern California boutiques, as “contemporary -- with an edge.” Guests either paid $250 each for their tickets or, of greater value to the charity, donated auction items for the May 22 Sports Spectacular dinner to benefit the Cedars-Sinai Medical Genetics Institute.
And, according to organizers, the women who give sports items give generously. “All of the things that are personally signed by the athletes are absolutely the most valuable to us,” said luncheon executive director Julie Harelson. “When the wives are bringing it, you know the authenticity; you know the caliber and the quality.”
Close to 350 guests turned up, many of them related to players, team owners or sports executives. Harelson’s co-chairs were Tonya Winfield, married to baseball Hall-of-Famer Dave Winfield; Linda Rambis, wife of Minnesota Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis; and Sharon Hernandez. Others present were Natasha Duffy, married to NBA champion John Salley; Nancy and Stephanie Turner, wife and daughter of San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner; Linda Murray, married to Kings coach Terry Murray; and Bernadette Leiweke, whose husband, Tim Leiweke, is chief executive of team owner AEG.
-- Ellen Olivier
from left, Julie Harelson, Sharon Hernandez and Linda Rambis. Credit: Thomas Neerken
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