More than 600 fans attended the fifth annual Park Place Dealerships - Texas Rangers Triple Play game show spectacular, featuring the entire Texas Rangers team and staff, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas last month.
Conceived by Rangers television announcer Josh Lewin, the event raised $400,000 for the Texas Rangers Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas. Mark and Leigh Teixeira, along with Josh and Dana Lewin and the Hicks family, served as Honorary Chairs of the event.
This year's game shows included Fielders Feud, based on the popular “Family Feud” TV game show, and fan favorite “Hollywood Squares.” Boxing promoter Don King was one of the celebrity judges for the Iron Chef Challenge, a live cook-off between Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock and catcher Gerald Laird.
Blalock cooked crab ravioli, filet mignon - beef stroganoff and cherries jubilee.
Laird whipped up a spinach-artichoke pasta appetizer, scallop and shrimp fettuccini and ice cream with fresh berries.
Each category was judged for flavor, presentation and originality with a maximum of 10 points each. Laird won with 234 points over Blalock's 224.5.
In addition to dinner and the game show, guests had the opportunity to bid on incredible live and silent auction items, including a Maserati driving experience in Italy; a footballer's fantasy trip to Liverpool, England; the opportunity to manage a Rangers 2008 spring training game in Arizona; and a trip to Boston to see the Rangers play the Red Sox at historic Fenway Park.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas is a volunteer organization that provides children support, guidance, friendship and fun by matching them to adult role models. Big Brothers Big Sisters creates the opportunity for a dynamic, fulfilling, and memorable experience for both the child and the volunteer. Information can be found at www.bbbs.org/NorthTexas.
The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, established in 1991, supports community endeavors in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Dedicated to building homes for families through Habitat for Humanity and constructing youth baseball parks, the Foundation has also created many youth incentive programs such as the Wells Fargo/Texas Rangers Rookie League and provided college scholarships to over 150 students. Check out www.rangers.mlb.com for more information.
Park Place Dealerships, title sponsor of the Triple Play event from its inception, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The company represents Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Porsche, Volvo, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maserati. More information is available at www.parkplacetexas.com.