By Staff
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Bill Russell, widely considered the greatest defensive center in the history of basketball, and James Brown, host of NFL Football on Fox, wil highlight the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Games awards banquet and silent auction.
The banquet and silent auction, which will take place on Tuesday, March 29 at the University of Notre Dame's Joyce Center, is part of a week-long schedule of events leading up to the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Games on Wednesday, March 30.
Tickets are still available for the banquet and silent auction, along with the girls' and boys' basketball games.
Tickets for the banquet and silent auction can be purchased through a toll-free line at 1-866-909-GAME. Tickets for the basketball games are available through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com) or by calling the toll-free number.
The silent auction, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday with dinner to follow at 7 p.m.
All net proceeds from the banquet, silent auction, Jam Fest and basketball games will beneift the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern Indiana, including the Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in South Bend and Fort Wayne, Ind.
Jam Fest, which will be held on Monday, March 28, is sold out. Jam Fest, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Wiekamp Center at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind. The Jam Fest consists of a team ball competition, a three-point contest and a slam dunk competition.
The keynote speaker at the banquet will be Russell, a legend whose credits include 11 NBA championships, five-time league MVP, Sporting News' 1970 Athlete of the Decade and the first-ever black NBA coach.
Brown, who is one of the most widely recognized and admired sports commentators in the country, will emcee the evening's events.
On Wednesday, March 30 at the Joyce Center, the 2005 McDonald's All-American girls' game tips off at 5:30 p.m. The boys' basketball game is set to start at 8 p.m.
Both games can be seen on ESPN. The boy's game will be seen live on Wednesday, while the girl's game will be shown on Thursday, March 31 at 5 p.m.