Ohio Sports Fans Celebrate Athletes Who Are Champions on and off the Field

Night of Champions Will Honor NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr for Leadership, Character and Integrity

XENIA, Ohio, April 14, 2008—On May 8, hundreds of Ohio sports fans will join sports celebrities to pay tribute to some impressive sports legends-not for their athletic accomplishments, but to honor their outstanding character and integrity.

The third annual Night of Champions, hosted by international sports ministry Athletes in Action, will honor sports role models including NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr and three-time Olympic Softball Gold Medalist Leah O'Brien-Amico. As part of the Night of Champions Starr and O'Brien-Amico will be inducted into the Athletes in Action "Hall of Faith," an elite honor given to athletes and coaches who display exemplary character in the game, in their families and in the community.

"Bart Starr and Leah O'Brien-Amico are both outstanding examples of athletes who have reached the pinnacle of success both on and off the field of competition," said Bill Pugh, president of Athletes in Action. "It is an honor to induct both of these fine people into Athletes in Action's 'Hall of Faith'."

Other special guests joining Athletes in Action for the Night of Champions include: 

• University of Cincinnati Head Football Coach Brian Kelly
   
• Olympic Gold Medalist Madeline Manning Mims
   
• Ohio State Basketball MVP, NBA Player and CBS Basketball Analyst Clark Kellogg

The Night of Champions starts at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8 at the Athletes in Action World Training and Resource Center in Xenia. For Night of Champions ticket information, call (800) 416-9473 or visit www.AIANightofChampions.com. Northwestern Mutual and Ohio Valley Force are Host City Sponsors for the 2008 Night of Champions.

The Night of Champions is an Athletes in Action Sports Legend Series event.  The Sports Legend Series is comprised of four premier events designed to honor athletes and coaches who model exemplary character, values, integrity and faith. For more information on the Sports Legend Series visit www.AIASportsLegendSeries.com.

Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, works with athletes and coaches to use the unique platform of sport to help people around the world with questions of faith. Athletes in Action can be found on the Web at www.AIA.com.

MEDIA NOTE: Night of Champions is open to the media. Credentials can be obtained by calling Karen Dye or Todd Shearer at (770) 813-0000.

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