Hello Sports Fans!

Team DC is very proud to announce the winners of the 2012 Team DC Champions Awards. They will be honored at a wonderful reception on Saturday, October 13 from 6-8 PM at the Equality Forum located at HRC Headquarters at 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, NW. We will also recognize the recipients of the 2012 Team DC College Scholarship Awards (see listing below).

Tickets are available NOW at www.teamdc.org and are $40 until October 5 and $50 after that and at the door. This includes a Dinner and Dessert Buffet catered by The Heights Restaurant and an Open Vodka and Wine Bar sponsored by Nellie's Sports Bar.

Our special guest speaker will be Patrick Burke co-founder of the You Can Play Project. A Silent Auction will be held to help raise funds for the You Can Play Project (see below).

The MVP Award recognizes individuals that have made a significant contribution to their sport club or tournament over the past year. This year's MVP Awards go to:

• Walker Chaffin of the Capital Tennis Association for his ongoing work directing the Capital Classic Tennis Tournament making it the most successful tournament in the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance and raising thousands of dollars for their designated charities.
  
• Brian Beary and Marcel Acosta of the DC Front Runners for their work on "Fast Forward", a video that celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the DC Front Runners highlighting the many contributions of this popular club over the years.
  

The Trailblazer Award recognizes individuals that have worked for many years to support and in some cases, establish their teams and tournaments. This year's Trailblazers include:

• Elisabeth (Lis) Morgan of the DC Strokes Rowing Club for being a strong leader and advocate for LGBT rowers on the local, national and international level. Since 1994, Lis has filled many roles with the DC Strokes (the oldest and largest LGBT rowing club in the world) including two terms as club president and has helped introduce hundreds of beginners as the head coach of the popular "Learn to Row" program.
  
• Curtis Yee of the Washington Wetskins Water Polo Team in honor of his helping to found the Wetskins over 30 years ago and for his ongoing participation with the club over the years. The Wetskins are now is the longest continuously operating gay and lesbian water polo team in the United States.
  
• Craig Howell of Adventuring for his countless contributions leading hikes from the challenging trails of the Shenandoah Valley National Park to relaxing strolls along the Potomac. Craig served as club President for 8 years and currently serves as Woods Coordinator (13 years and counting) to make sure that hikes for all levels are scheduled while mentoring new Trip Leaders along the way.
  

The Community Support Award recognizes individuals, organizations or businesses that have supported the teams and the entire LGBT sporting community. This years awards go to:

• The DC United Soccer Club for their ongoing support of the United Night OUT (3 years and counting) and ongoing support of teams, including the Federal Triangles Soccer Club. DC United also was the first pro soccer team in the United States to produce a "You Can Play" video to help address homophobia in sports and to encourage the open participation of the LGBT athlete.
  
• The You Can Play Project and co-found Patrick Burke for their work to address issues of homophobia by encouraging the open participation of the LGBT athlete on the collegiate and professional level.
  

Team DC is delighted that Patrick Burke, the co-founder of the You Can Play Project, will be our special guest speaker at the Champions Awards. Their mission (which can be found at www.youcanplayproject.org) is:

You Can Play is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation.

You Can Play works to guarantee that athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete, judged by other athletes and fans alike, only by what they contribute to the sport or their team's success.

You Can Play seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by focusing only on an athlete's skills, work ethic and competitive spirit.

Proceeds from the Silent Auction will benefit the work of the You Can Play Project, so be sure to bid big on your favorite ticket packages, restaurant dinners or sports memorabilia.

Also invited that evening will be this year's Team DC College Scholarship Award winners, including:

· Tomas Bermudez of Washington, DC and Bell Multicultural High School. Tomas ran cross country and will attend Marshall University in West Virginia.

· Ilana Kapit of Rockville, Maryland and Walter Johnson High School. Ilana was an active soccer player and will be attending Barnard College in New York City.

· Justin Kaplan-Markley of Takoma Park, Maryland and Montgomery Blair High School. Justin played lacrosse and will attend the Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

· Luis Rivera of Bowie, Maryland and Bowie High School. Luis played varsity soccer and will be attending the Art Institute of Washington to study fashion design.

· Rebecca Stussman of Olney, Maryland and Sherwood High School. Becca competed in Track and Field and will be attending Columbia University to study biomedical engineering in the fall.

· Colin Ward of Silver Spring, Maryland and Montgomery Blair High School. Colin is a rising junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he competes on the UNC Men's Crew team.

The Team DC Champions Awards are sponsored by:

Nellie's Sports Bar (www.nelliessportsbar.com)
Miller Lite Beer (www.millerlite.com)
Metro Weekly (www.metroweekly.com)
Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org)

For more information about the Champions Awards, go to http://www.teamdc.org or contact Brent Minor at news@teamdc.org.