Celebrity Dinner Auction
Dan Fouts Headlines #14
APRIL 11th @ WINRIVER
(Shasta College-3/6/08-Jeffrey Jen) It's the Week of the Quarterback for me. Monday, on an off day, I rented the DVD movie "The Gameplan," in which Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson plays a pro QB named Joe Kingman. Tuesday, the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay may have finally started with the announcement that legendary Brett Favre was retiring. That moved the Pleasant Valley and Cal Golden Bears quarterback from three years on the pine to No. 1 on the Packers' depth chart. So Wednesday, when Shasta College Athletic Director Gary Houser eagerly asked me to step into his office to deliver some news that came through the evening before, I should have seen it coming. The annual Knights dinner auction had finally found its guest speaker, and yes, it is a former NFL quarterback: San Diego Chargers great and Hall of Famer Dan Fouts. Fouts will be the celebrity speaker at the 14th annual Shasta College athletics dinner auction at 5:30 p.m. April 11 at Win-River Casino. The event has drawn its share of notable speakers -- Ronnie Lott and Harmon Killebrew -- but Fouts' name is near the top of the list. Favre was a true gunslinger, breaking the passing records of famed Dan Marino. But before there was Marino, there was Fouts. Prior to Fouts, the only 4,000-yard passing season in NFL history was by Joe Namath with the New York Jets in 1967 (4,007). But, in 1979, Fouts shattered that barrier for the first of three straight 4,000-yard seasons. He went on to become a six-time Pro Bowler, the 1982 NFL Player of the Year, and a member of the NFL 1980s all-Decade team. He remains the only QB to lead the NFL in passing yards in four straight years (1979-1982). Over his 15-year career, all with the Chargers, Fouts threw for 43,040 yards, eighth most in NFL history (No. 1 retired on Tuesday), just ahead of a couple of guys named Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas. He also ranks 10th in completions (3,297) and 12th and touchdown passes (254).Oddly enough, one of Joe Montana's favorite targets, Dwight Clark, was initially the target for this year's event but he backed out a month ago. That set up a scramble as usually the event takes place in February or March. "It was really unnerving," Houser said. "We were just holding things until we could get someone like Dan Fouts, but it took a lot longer than we wanted." So now, Knights athletics has a little over a month to start selling tickets at $65 a person or $600 for a table of 10 for the event that always includes live and silent auctions, featuring golf trips, sports memorabilia and tickets to pro sporting events around Northern California. Those interested in ordering tickets can call Shasta College's athletic department at 225-4833. The good thing is that Shasta has a partner this year in Win-River Casino, which is hosting the event for the first time. In recent years, the athletic department has been at the Holiday Inn convention center. But with the recent remodeling at Win-River, the casino has a backroom that will be used as the auction site. Holiday Inn usually could bring 350-400 attendees, but Houser said Win-River can hold up to 500. "It does have a larger seating capacity," Houser said. "That's part of the reason for the move, but also to try something different. Win-River wants to be a supporter of community events like these." So now that Fouts has stepped up to the podium, all that is left for the event organizers is sell tickets, gather auction items and figure out a way to usher in those Knights athlete/volunteers under the age of 21 past all those slot machines. "Perhaps we can blindfold them and herd them through," Houser joked. "Or maybe there's a back way in." Reporter Jeffrey Jen's notebook runs every Thursday. He can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Cliff Branch Drives Up Bids
#13, ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER
(Holiday Inn, Redding-Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-3/23/07) Cliff Branch got a nice reception in his turn as the guest speaker for Shasta College's 13th annual Celebrity Dinner Auction on Thursday. How nice? The former Raiders wide receiver watched a jersey of his go for more than the Raider jerseys of NFL receiving great Jerry Rice or Branch's old teammate, quarterback Kenny "the Snake" Stabler. Branch did sign and date his jersey just the way the winning bidder wanted it and Shasta College athletics is going to take care of the cost of mounting and framing the piece, one of 28 live items that went up for bid at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Redding. When the around 350 attendees weren't bidding for either live or silent items, they were listening to Branch speak about growing up to become a player who spent 13 years in the NFL and won three Super Bowl rings, one of which he wore during the night's festivities. When he wasn't up at the podium speaking, Branch was having fun, joking around and signing autographs for attendees. Some lined up to have a chance to speak with Branch or pose for a photo. If there were plenty of admirers of the Raiders great, it was returned from the man himself. "To come out here and to see this kind of an event left me overwhelmed," Branch said. "To have something like this running for 13 years speaks of how strong the community supports the local junior college." To Branch, that is what the evening was all about. The annual event is a fundraiser for Shasta College athletics and Branch wanted to do his part to ensure its success. During his speech, he didn't touch too much on his Raider days. Instead, he talked about growing up in Houston and using the junior college route to move on to bigger and better things. "Going to junior college was the best decision I ever made," Branch told the audience. He also emphasized, and drew applause, when he stressed the importance of academics. Branch's mother was a schoolteacher, so school was important growing up, noting that in the phrase "student-athlete," the student part comes first and it did for Branch's academic career. Branch even donated some items that appeared in the live auction part of the evening, notably his jersey and those of Stabler's and Rice's. After Stabler's framed jersey went for $850, Rice's Raider one was $650. Then, Branch personally showed off his own and the bid cards started popping up and kept popping up until the winning bid came in at $1,200. "Can you believe that?" Branch laughed afterwards. "And it was unframed, too!" Later, Branch joked about the Raiders' No. 1 pick in next month's NFL Draft. When asked about who he preferred, Branch suggested that Oakland take LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick, then hit up former Raiders linebacker Matt Millen, now the general manager for the Detroit Lions who have the No. 2 pick, to work out some sort of trade for Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Being a former wide receiver, though, Branch admitted he wouldn't mind seeing Johnson, considered by some as the top talent in the draft, in a Raiders jersey. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Cliff Branch Starts for Knights
DINNER AUCTION #13 SPEAKER
(Shasta College-Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-3/16/07) During his playing days with the Oakland Raiders, Cliff Branch was known as a big-play wide receiver. Next week, he hopes his name helps Shasta College's athletic department get some big play during the Knights' 13th annual Celebrity Dinner Auction. Branch, who spent his enter 13-year NFL career with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, is this year's celebrity guest speaker at the annual fundraiser for Knights athletics. The event takes place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. Shasta College has had a number of big sporting names in the past, some from its own ranks and others more nationally well-known. During Branch's career, which spanned from 1972-1984, he was a four-time Pro Bowler (1974-1977) who was part in all three of the Raiders' Super Bowl victories (XI, XV, XVIII). When he hung up his cleats in 1985, he had 501 career catches and a 17.3 yards per catch average. For Branch, 58, to come and help a junior college athletic department in Redding, it was no-brainer in his mind. "I went through the junior college route as well," Branch said on Wednesday. "I spent two years at Wharton County Junior College in Texas and I was an All-American in football and track there before transferring to Colorado." So, Shasta College represents a perfect opportunity to give back. How that chance came about was when Branch and many other celebrities -- including Bo Jackson, Steve Garvey and William "the Refrigerator" Perry -- came up to participate in last fall's Make-A-Wish charity golf tournament sponsored by Win-River Casino at Gold Hills Golf Club. Branch ended up being paired in a group that included Shasta College President Gary Lewis and Knights Athletic Director Gary Houser among others. "We had a great time, we ended up winning the tournament," Branch said. Houser, however, walked away with a bigger coup when he convinced Branch to become this year's celebrity guest speaker for his department's main fundraiser. "He was just so personal and so approachable," Houser said. "He hit it right off with our group." So, with a familiar name in tow, Houser is hoping to have an even better Celebrity Dinner Auction this time around. The list of auction items include a $5,000 value of an orthodontic treatment for a kid age 15 or younger from Dr. Gus Petras, a fully catered skybox for four people to San Francisco Giants game and tickets to Oakland Athletics and Sacramento Kings games. Even better, Branch will be bringing some items of his own. Among the list is a Kenny Stabler-autographed jersey, a Jerry Rice-autographed jersey, a portrait of Randy Moss catching a touchdown pass, a Stabler lithograph and three of Branch's own jerseys. When asked what he likely will say, Branch had an idea. "I do a lot of charity work, though not speaking ones," Branch said. "I've done enough to present myself properly. I'll be talking about where I'm from, what made me want to be an athlete, how schoolwork was most important and being an athlete was No. 2, and about my Raiders career." Seats are still available at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. Tickets are $65 apiece or $500 for a table of eight. For more information, or to make reservations, contact the Shasta College athletic department at 225-4797. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Standing Ovations for
Ricky & George!!
(Holiday Inn-Redding-3/23/06-Jeffrey Jen Searchlight article) On a night where the Knights honored and celebrated two of their own, Shasta College got its biggest crowd in recent years at its annual fundraiser auction. Shasta College first honored longtime employee George Kutras, who served the school for 53 years including a 19-year stint from 1952-1971 as the school's men's basketball coach. Then the Knights brought out their speaker for the 12th annual Shasta College Celebrity Dinner Auction: former quarterback Ricky Ray. Both showed gratitude at the recognition from the school and the crowd of 396 in attendance at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, which responded with standing ovations for Kutras (twice) and Ray. The annual event is the main fundraiser for Shasta College athletics and having two of their own seemed to bring out more people this time. Usually the number coming is around 300-350, but Knights athletic director Gary Houser noted that event organizers needed to add 14 tables to accommodate this year's crowd and the event had been sold out for several days in advance. "I know this is the most amount of people we've attracted in at least the last five years," Houser said. A slide on portions of Kutras' life was shown in advance, while Ray got a video presentation, featuring shots of him playing with his current team, the Edmonton Eskimos. Earlier in the evening, Ray expressed some amusement at him being the speaker at a "celebrity" event, courtesy of his Grey Cup MVP title he won with the Eskimos in November. In his three seasons in the CFL, he has led Edmonton to the Grey Cup title game all three times, winning the game the last two times. Then there are stints with NFL teams the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets. "I consider myself a regular guy," Ray said. "But I was willing to come and help out Shasta College. I have greatly benefited from my time here. I know I've been lucky to still be able to play football." When he got on the stage and addressed his audience, Ray gave a brief rundown of his career, including some interesting insights. He mentioned his nervousness about going to 49ers training camp ("My first pass was to Terrell Owens and it was incomplete. That obviously wasn't good") or the time he spent in the Arena Football League and didn't like it though it would pave the way for his CFL days ("I called my agent to say maybe this wasn't a good idea, but luckily he wasn't in the office that day"). He ended things by thanking Shasta College for giving him and many other area athletes an opportunity to keep on playing his sport. Kutras pointed out his extended family in attendance and even joked about his long time at Shasta College, coaching hoops, teaching history and even serving as school president from 1988-1993. "When one of my students comes up me and they are 65 years old, it scares the hell out of me," Kutras said. He even gave a plug to acting school president Gary Lewis to have the "acting" part removed from his title. Both Ray and Kutras even signed items that went up in the live auction. A signed leather basketball from Kutras garnered $650 while three items from Ray, a CFL football, a "Grey Cup Glory" program of the 2003 Eskimos season and a framed picture with trading cards of him, netted a combined $1,600. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Donation Form / Table Reservation Form
Grey Cup MVP Coming Home
CFL Star Ricky Ray to Speak March 23rd
(Shasta College-2/9/06-Jeffrey Jen) At 12 and counting, Shasta College athletics went local for its annual fundraising event. The guest speaker at the Knights' Celebrity Dinner Auction is one of their own former football players who now has two Grey Cup titles to his name: Ricky Ray.The event is scheduled for March 23 at the Redding Holiday Inn Convention Center. Ray starred at Shasta College during the 1997 and 1998 seasons before brief stints in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets in 2001 and 2004, respectively. However, it is the Canadian Football League where Ray has made his mark. In three CFL seasons, he has guided the Edmonton Eskimos to the Grey Cup finals three times, winning the last two in 2003 and 2005. This November, he earned Grey Cup MVP honors. Back in town enjoying a long break before the upcoming Canadian football season, Ray returns to the event where he was inducted into the Shasta College Hall of Fame three years ago. "They asked me and I said I was willing," Ray said. "Hey, it's a chance to raise money for Shasta College athletics. That's what it is all about." Despite a late season slump with the Eskimos, Ray enjoyed his return to the CFL. He did have to ask for a release with the Jets to make his return north. Considering the Jets' ensuing troubles at quarterback, there was some speculation that if he stayed, he may have seen time on an NFL field, but Ray doesn't worry about all that talk. "Yeah, there was a possibility I could have played," Ray said. "But a lot of things would have had to happen for that. I don't have any regrets with my decision (to go back to the CFL). I had a really good year and won the Grey Cup." Ray will be the first speaker with Shasta College roots since 1999, when former New York Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn made an appearance. Former Knights football coach Leon Donohue was a guest of honor in 2002 and did say a few words. In addition to Ray, George Kutras, a longtime college and community figure, will be honored during the event. In the meantime, Ray will be joining some notable football names that have spoken at the event. In 1996, the speaker was Fred Biletnikoff, the standout Oakland Raiders wide receiver. A year later, it was former San Francisco 49ers safety Ronnie Lott. The next year, former Raiders offensive linemen Wayne Hawkins spoke. Then came Sehorn. Ray actually helped work at the event the year Hawkins spoke and was on hand when baseball great Harmon Killebrew spoke in 2003. He said he doesn't believe he measures up to some of the past names, but that isn't preventing him from helping out his old school. "I'm not a big public speaker," Ray said, who will do just that at the dinner auction. "I can't entertain people for an hour, but I can go up there and talk about my experiences here at the school and how it has helped me since." The Shasta College men's basketball team rejoined the Top 20 in the state JC hoops poll this week. Sunday's poll has the Knights 17th in the state. Shasta (17-10) is ranked No. 9 in Northern California, the highest-ranked team with fewer than 20 wins. Then again, few teams have been on a tear like the Knights. Meanwhile, College of the Siskiyous suffered a drop in the rankings after falling to Butte and Shasta last week. The 22-4 Eagles, who fell from No. 1 in Northern California to No. 4 in NorCals, are still five spots ahead of Shasta. Siskiyous fell from second to ninth in the state poll. The top eight teams in NorCal earn home playoff games. Shasta likely needs to win the Golden Valley Conference outright to have a chance at that. The Knights have a two-game lead over Siskiyous and Butte, and can clinch at least a share of the GVC crown with a win at Butte on Friday. Jeffrey Jen's college notebook runs Thursdays. He can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Laskey Praises Community
PINCH-HITS FOR VIDA BLUE
(Holiday Inn Convention Center-Jeffrey Jen, Record Searchlight-3/19/05) The Shasta College athletic department went to a self-described "pinch-hitter" for its annual fund-raiser. Bill Laskey, a San Francisco Giants pitcher from 1982-1986, was more than willing to fill in and do his part to help the Knights at the school's 11th annual Celebrity Dinner Auction at the Holiday Inn convention center on Friday. Laskey came up to Redding in place of his friend Vida Blue, the A's and Giants pitching star of the 1970s, who couldn't make the trip. Blue was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving on Sunday in Scottsdale, Ariz. However, Laskey stepped to the plate in Blue's place and proved to be an entertaining, if brief, speaker for the over 300 guests at the event. At the start of his talk, Laskey said "I guess I'm the pinch-hitter tonight, but considering my career .129 batting average, I think I'm really a spot starter." Laskey focused his talk on how impressed he was with the community support of Shasta College and offered a few pieces of advice, such as parents not pushing so hard on their kids to do well on sports, but should "commend" and "support" them in their endeavors. He also scoffed at the notion some players have of "not being role models." "I don't have Cy Young awards, MVPs and all these things," Laskey said to those in attendance. "I consider myself a role model." Laskey ended the talk by breaking down Shasta by letter to represent a meaning: S is for support, H is for honor, A is for achievement, S is for smiling ("I look around and see all these smiling faces here"), T is for togetherness and A is for attitude. Though he didn't have a long tenure in the majors, Laskey was still happy to last as long as he did in baseball. He owns a business called Celebrity Connection in Burlingame which brokers deals between events and players. He also conducts private pitching lessons in the San Francisco Bay area and will run the Giants fantasy camp for the organization. He talked afterward about playing with the likes of fellow Giants Jack Clark, Joe Morgan and Bob Brenley. He said his most memorable baseball moment was his first major league start in 1982, a three-hit shutout of the now-defunct Montreal Expos. He remembers walking Tim Raines to lead off the inning. "It was a 3-2 count and I threw the ball on the outside corner and the umpire called it a ball. I said to myself, Well, welcome to the major leagues."For the auction, a list of 22 live items and 128 silent items were sold to those attending. The live items netted bids of almost $28,000. The priciest item was a seven-day, seven-night houseboat trip on Lake Shasta for $4,500. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Seagren, Fosbury, & the Knights
Score Gold!
Dick Fosbury and Bob Seagran
1968 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS
(2/26/04-Holiday Inn Redding-Jeffrey Jen-Record Searchlight) Bob Seagren told tales about his brother and himself vaulting from rooftop to rooftop around the neighborhood prior to his glory days as a pole vaulter. Dick Fosbury talked of how he went from a struggling high jumper to one who revolutionized the event. More than 300 people attended the 10th annual Shasta College Celebrity Auction to hear such tales from the two 1968 Olympic gold medalists at the Holiday Inn convention center on Thursday night. Seagren broke the world record in the men's pole vault on multiple occasions and also won a silver medal at the 1972 Olympics held in Munich, Germany. Fosbury is better known for his "Fosbury Flop" technique, which is now the style of all prominent high jumpers. The two were fitting speakers considering 2004 is an Olympic year and those in attendance listened to the men recall how special being in the Olympics was. "There was no greater feeling of pride or satisfaction than standing at the top of the podium and having your national anthem played," said Seagren. Seagren also talked about the unique Olympic experience. "It was great to meet people from different countries," he recalled, "then competing against them on friendly terms." Fosbury detailed his early days as a high jumper when he started to lift his hips up, causing his shoulders to fall back. He continued to refine the technique through the Olympics. There, many European coaches told Fosbury that his technique would never fly. Then he proceeded to win the gold with a 7-4¼ leap. These days, every prominent high jumper uses the Fosbury Flop. "I honestly was never out to change the sport," Fosbury said. "I thought a few people would follow what I did, but I never believed that it would revolutionize the sport as it did." Fosbury also did his part to raise money for the Knights athletic department, which was what the occasion was all about. He spent the previous few weeks collecting signatures from other Olympians on a special Olympic flag given only to the champions of the four-year event. It was one of 21 special items that went on sale with the winning bid coming in at $4,200. Fosbury, who grew up in Medford, Ore., added that his Olympic experience opened new doors for him. "I got to go see the world. I had a chance to go to Italy, Sweden, throughout Europe . . . and come to Redding," drawing laughter and applause from his audience.
(Webmaster note: With this year's auction the grand total for money raised through all 10 of the Celebrity Dinner Auctions now totals more than $500,000.00!!!)
Golden Switch-Fosbury/Seagren
RAMS COACH CANCELS LAST MINUTE
(2/5/04-Jeffery Jen - Record Searchlight) 2004 is an Olympic year. So it makes sense that when Shasta College suddenly found itself with an opening for guest speaker at its celebrity dinner, the role was filled by not one, but two Olympic champions. The result: the 10th annual Celebrity Auction Dinner now features high jumper Dick Fosbury, inventor of the "Fosbury Flop," and pole vaulter Bob Seagren, both Olympic gold medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City. Knights athletic director Gary Houser said that last week the original guest speaker, St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz, had to back out due to an "unavoidable scheduling conflict." In relatively quick response, Houser lined up the two track legends to fill the gap for the Feb. 26 event at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Redding. "It really turned out well for us," Houser said about the switch. "For a day or two, we weren't sure what was going on, but then things fell in place." Even though Fosbury has the more recognizable name, Seagren has had the more impressive track and field career. In addition to the gold he won in Mexico City, Seagren also took silver at the 1972 Munich Olympics, broke the American pole vault record six times and the world record four times. His best vault was at 18 feet, 5¾ inches in 1972. Fosbury rode his revolutionary technique "Fosbury Flop" to the gold in high jump. Instead of running at the bar and trying to leap over it, Fosbury used an angled approach and arched backward over the bar. Though a novelty in 1968, Fosbury set an Olympic and American record with his gold-winning jump of 7-4¼ . By the early 1980s, virtually every high jumper had conformed to his style. The celebrity dinner serves as the Shasta athletic department's main fund-raiser. Live and silent auctions and raffles are to be held along with the prime-rib dinner.
Tickets are $65 per person or $500 for a table of eight.

2003 Celebrity Dinner Auction
Harmon Killebrew's Appearance Brings Out the Fans Minnesota Twin's Hall of Fame Slugger
Harmon Killebrew
Baseball great wows crowd as Knights
induct Ray & Teter
(View photos of the event)
(2/20/03-Holiday Inn-Redding-Jeffery Jen Record Searchlight) A Hall of Fame baseball player in Redding definitely draws out more people than usual. With Minnesota Twins great Harmon Killebrew as the guest speaker and a Shasta College Hall of Fame ceremony for Ricky Ray and Nicole Teter, more than 380 people attended Shasta College's 9th annual Celebrity Dinner Auction at the Holiday Inn on Thursday night. Gary Lewis, vice president of academic affairs for Shasta College, said that 320 attended last year's dinner auction. Many came out to see Killebrew, who hit 573 home runs over his 20-year baseball career, seventh-most in major league history. Almost from the moment he sat down at an autograph table, there was a constant line for more than an hour of people waiting to meet the Hall of Famer. Killebrew, 66, chose to attend the dinner as a way to hang out with his high school friend Denny Brubaker, longtime resident of Redding. The two grew up together in Payette, Idaho. "I've been through Redding a few times," Killebrew said. "I've never had a chance to stay here with Denny and his family until now. "It's very nice that people come up and ask for my autograph. It has been a long time since I played and it's nice that people still remember me." While Killebrew got most of the attention, Shasta College also got a chance to pay tribute to two of its athletic standouts. Knights football coach Craig Thompson introduced Ray, who got a few minutes on stage to reminisce about his playing days at Shasta. "Being inducted to the Shasta Hall is pretty exciting," Ray said beforehand. "I'm enjoying the experience." Ray, 23, led the Canadian Football League's most efficient passer and guided the Edmonton Eskimos to the Grey Cup championship game. He's spending time at home in Shasta before returning to Edmonton for a second CFL season in May. Lewis, a former track coach at Shasta College, introduced Teter, who broke the American indoor record in the women's 800 meters last March. Lewis noted Teter also holds the school record in the same event at Shasta. "I'm honored to be inducted here," Teter said. "I'm just really appreciative of all the support given to me here in the north state throughout my career." Teter, 29, isn't sure whether she will defend her national indoor title, but plans defend her outdoor title. She also hopes to make the World Track and Field Championships this summer and dreams of making the 2004 Summer Olympics. The stage was then turned over to Brubaker, who introduced his friend Killebrew. The Hall of Famer spent 30 minutes talking about his playing days and conversations he's had with other baseball greats such as Yogi Berra and Warren Spahn. He even took a few questions from the audience. When asked about Pete Rose, Killebrew quipped, "What about him?" And he drew applause when he answered a question about how many times he has been thrown out of a game by saying, "I haven't been thrown out yet."
Guest Celebrity
Hall of Fame Slugger
Minnesota Twin's Star,
#3 Harmon Killebrew

Harmon has hit more homeruns than
any other American League right handed hitter!
He currently is 7th on the All-time list with 573 homeruns!!

Although quiet and soft-spoken, Harmon Killebrew epitomized raw power. His 573 career roundtrippers rank seventh on the all-time list and second only to Babe Ruth among American League sluggers. Over his 22-year career with the Senators, Twins, and Royals, he tied or led the league in home runs six times, belted 40 or more on eight occasions and knocked in 100 or more runs nine times. The "Killer," as he was affectionately known, won the American League MVP Award in 1969, when he led the league in home runs, RBIs, walks and on-base percentage.

Did you know ... that on June 3, 1967, Harmon Killebrew blasted the longest home run ever hit at the Twins' old park, Metropolitan Stadium - a shot that landed in the second deck of the bleachers? ...that ball also broke two seats!!
...also,
The "Killer" hit more homeruns than any other major leaguer in the decade of the 60's!! ( A total of 393, 18 more homeruns than Homerun King Hank Aaron!!)
also some trivia...
Harmon Killebrew is one of only 60 living members of the Baseball Hall of Fame! That is one exclusive club!

Auction - Star-studded Event !!
Ricky Ray & Nicole Teeter into Hall of Fame!
(2/6/03-Article by Jeffrey Jen, Redding Record Searchlight newspaper) There is something new at this year's Shasta College Celebrity Dinner Auction. While the feature speaker is Hall of Fame baseball player named Harmon Killebrew, Shasta College athletics is also going to conduct its own Hall of Fame ceremony of sorts. In the past, Shasta has had a Hall of Fame football game each fall to honor distinguished alumni of the past. Not this season. Instead, Shasta College Athletic Director Gary Houser said the Hall of Fame ceremony will be conducted during the department's Feb. 20 dinner auction. Houser even named the two latest honorees: Nicole Teter and Ricky Ray. Teter, who is becoming a force on the international track circuit, is the reigning U.S. 800-meter women's champion, both indoor and outdoor. She also is the American indoor record holder at the distance. Ray finished as the top-rated passer in the Canadian Football League in 2002 as the quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos. Ray also spent parts of the 2001 season with the San Francisco 49ers. Houser said that both Teter and Ray are expected to be on hand for their induction's. Speaking of the dinner, there are some interesting items to be auctioned off. One item up for bid is a luxury box suite for eight at Pacific Bell Park for a San Francisco Giants game, complete with full catering — valued at about $1,500. Another item: a pair of tickets to the Sacramento Kings home game against the Toronto Raptors on March 14. Not just any tickets, but courtside seats at midcourt. Plus a free night's lodging thrown in. Price: $595 per ticket. Hmm. Giants or Kings? Tough choice. Or how about a set of braces from Dr.Gus Petras? Maybe a BBQ dinner for 100 of your closest friends donated by CR Gibbs, Ed Rullman and Steve Gaines! You can always relax after a big Knight's victory in a $4,500 Millennium Spas hot tub! The auction committee will be mailing out an auction teaser. If you are not on our mailing list email us and we will send you one!
(vanderparkus@att.net)
Harmon Killebrew Headlines Dinner Auction 2003
BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER
(1/15/03-Shasta College) When it comes to it's sports auction dinner, Shasta College always seems to attract a famous sports name to be its speaker. The upcoming auction dinner on Feb. 20 is no exception with the keynote speaker being Hall of Fame baseball slugger Harmon Killebrew. During his 22 seasons in the major leagues from 1954-75, Killebrew was a premier longball threat. He hit 573 home runs in his career, ranking seventh all-time in baseball history. He hit more home runs in the 1960s than anyone, including the likes of Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. A 13-time All-star, he spent all but one of his seasons with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins franchise. Killebrew was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. "When you get a Hall of Fame member of baseball, that is impressive," Shasta College Athletic Director Gary Houser said. "It makes this a legitimate first-class auction. He's nationally known." Six times he hit 40 or more home runs in a season, hitting as many as 49 in both 1964 and 1969. Nine times, he cracked the 100-RBI plateau. In 1969, he was named the American League Most Valuable Player after hitting .276 with 49 homers and 140 RBIs. "He's about as big as any other name we've had at the auction dinner," Houser said. "We've been able to bring some pretty big people here. Plus he is our first baseball celebrity!" This is the ninth Celebrity Dinner Auction for the Knights. In previous years, keynote speakers have been Jim Plunkett, Fred Biletnikoff, Ronnie Lott, Jim Otto, Jason Sehorn, Rich Eisen, Giants/ESPN baseball announcer John Miller and last year, Dallas Cowboy and Shasta College coach Leon Donohue. There is limited seating available. Tickets are $65 per person or $500 for a table of eight. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction for various items ranging from jewelry and paintings to sports autographs starting then. Dinner begins around 7:30 p.m. with
Harmon Killebrew speaking a little after 8:00 p.m.

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